Riot-zone shopkeepers may be denied security shutters

Ministers were reportedly considering scrapping the requirement for retailers to seek planning permission to install shutters outside their shop windows, following last summer’s disorder which swept London and other cities.

But a consultation by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) concluded that it “would be a disproportionate over-reaction to the riots” for shops to be allowed to introduce the security measures without approval from planning authorities, the Grocer magazine reported.

Decision officer Maria Stasiak said local planning authorities and police forces were concerned that giving retailers a free rein to put up shutters could have a detrimental effect on town centres, the magazine added. In a letter to planning officers, Ms Stasiak said shutters could create “an unwelcoming environment, which could increase the fear of crime, attract anti-social behaviour and graffiti and reduce footfall”.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) questioned whether local councils would now follow Government guidance and use their powers to cut red tape for businesses wanting to introduce shutters.

ACS public affairs director Shane Brennan said: “This would require councils to be creative, talk to local retailers and respond to their needs. That is not something they’re renowned for.”

There have been widespread calls among retailers for planning restrictions to be eased for installing shop shutters.

Siva Kandiah, whose Clarence Convenience Store was wrecked by rioters in Hackney, north-east London, said: “They should leave it up to us to decide what we need to keep our shops safe.”