The BBC will no longer allow ‘unvetted’ members of the public into areas of Broadcasting House, after Westminster City Council approved the broadcaster’s plans.
Councillors from Westminster City – the local authority responsible for approving changes to Broadcasting House – voted unanimously to end the practice during a planning meeting on Tuesday night, after hearing the BBC’s concerns over terrorism and disruptive protests.
The condition had been in place since 2001 when planning consent was given to redevelop the site.
Lesley Smith, the BBC’s in-house counsel, told councillors that Broadcasting House had been the target of 158 incidents so far this year and staff had been harassed on the street.
Ms Smith said: “We do try to be as open and as accessible as possible but there is also a responsibility to safeguard the continuity and availability of the services and the safety of staff and others.
“Acting under the advice of our own professionals and police, we believe our application is proportionate to the increased threats and we’d be failing in our wider duties if we did not make the application.”
Ms Smith argued Media Cafe – one of the public areas – was in direct line of sight of the BBC’s newsrooms and would be an ‘obvious’ target for protesters. Citing advice from security experts, she said installing a pre-notification system was ‘unfeasible’.
Planning Committee Chair Paul Fisher said it would be ‘reckless’ not to grant permission.
The councillor said: “I think it’s appalling that BBC staff have to be told in 2024 to leave this building without their badges.
“I think it’s saying not just that terrorism is a huge problem and a risk that we face in London, but a problem that this organisation is exposed to in particular, day in, day out and it’s only increased unfortunately over the course of the past 12 months.”
Cllr Patrick Lilley said he felt request was ‘housekeeping that is a bit overdue’ while Deputy Opposition Leader Caroline Sargent said the committee had to find a balance between allowing access to the public and keeping public broadcasters, staff and visitors safe.
Two reception areas, the Radio Theatre and the Media Cafe, will remain permanently closed to members of the public who have not received security checks before entering the building. These areas have been closed to the public since 2017 ‘as a consequence of both terrorist activity and then the COVID pandemic’, an application to Westminster City Council shows.
The BBC also cited the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill as another reason to stop the practice saying it brought ‘additional operational and legal responsibilities’ on the broadcaster to protect staff from terrorist threats and security risks.
A security assessment found that since 2019, Broadcasting House had been targeted with 119 protests and that reopening the receptions and Media Cafe would leave it susceptible to protesters entering undetected.
The assessment also cited instances of criminal damage in the past 12 months, such as to a statue above the entrance to the reception of Old Broadcasting House and red liquid being sprayed on the external doors of New Broadcasting House – photos of which were shown to councillors during Tuesday’s meeting.
The BBC said it remains committed to allowing public access to Broadcasting House and pointed out it allows in schools, family members of BBC staff, community groups and audience members. The BBC said as a holding area for audiences, the Media Cafe alone sees approximately 60,000 to 80,000 visitors a year.
The original planning permission from May 2001 had been granted on the legal ground the BBC provided public access to a number of areas in the building, including the reception areas and Media Cafe, then known as the Radio Theatre Cafe. Westminster City Council said public access to Broadcasting House needed to be considered against both the current policy position of the BBC and security concerns.
