GateGate and SignGate...

SMC Statement
Published 29 September 2017
In July 2017, a 1.8m tall metal security gate was erected at the KCOM Stadium end of a pedestrian route which leads from Argyle Street/Londesborough Street to the KCOM Stadium following security advice received by SMC from the North East Counter Terrorism Unit (“NECTU”).



The gate forms part of wide range of measures taken by SMC to improve security at the KCOM Stadium. Which, together with the steps recently taken by Hull City Council to restrict access to the Walton Street Car Park, will assist SMC in maintaining the safety and security of visitors to the KCOM Stadium.



The gate was installed by SMC without planning permission following discussions between SMC and Hull City Council during which Hull City Council confirmed that a gate of less than 2m in height would not require planning permission. This advice was consistent with the Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Order) 2015 which states that a gate of less than 2m in height is a “permitted development” and does not require planning permission. SMC was surprised, therefore, when, after the gate was installed, Hull City Council asserted that planning permission was in fact needed.



During a recent security review meeting with SMC, NECTU once against expressed concern to SMC that the unrestricted access to the KCOM Stadium provided by the Argyle Street/Londesborough Street pedestrian route rendered the KCOM Stadium vulnerable to third parties carrying out illicit activities.



The safety and wellbeing of visitors to KCOM Stadium is of paramount concern to the SMC. Given that the gate, when closed, will enable SMC to address the security concerns previously raised with SMC by NECTU, and is also, in SMC’s opinion, “a permitted development” and therefore does not require planning permission, SMC will be closing and securing the gate at 6pm Saturday 30 September 2017.



SMC would like to reassure fans that use the Argyle Street/Londesborough Street pedestrian route to travel to and from the KCOM Stadium for football and rugby matches that the gate will be open on future match days from 2 hours before kick off (turnstiles at the KCOM Stadium open 1.5 hours before a match) until 1 hour after a match has finished. Likewise, the gate will be open before and after other events periodically taking place at the KCOM Stadium, for example music concerts. The gate will, however, at all other times be closed.



This will prevent public access to and from the KCOM Stadium to and from the Argyle Street/Londesborough Street pedestrian route. SMC is aware of statements that have previously been made on social media that a public right of way exists over the Argyle Street/Londesborough Street pedestrian route. SMC takes the opportunity here to make clear that that is not the case, there being no public right of way over that route.

 

Surely then a similar gate should be installed at the bottom of the walkway at Londesbrough St junction end.
Otherwise you will have people walking all the way down the walkway in the opposite direction only to find the gate closed.
Certainly signage is needed at the start of the walkway

 

What an odious set of ****s run our club.

 

That pathways been open for 15 years so why all of a sudden is it deemed dangerous.

 

Surely the time when the fans are vunerable is when the stadium is open with the fans milling/queueing outside in numbers.
This is the time when the gate will be open.
I think it is more to do with people spraying things on the stadium, and sneakily making the gate 10cm shorter than HCC planning rules, it's been a while since they have had a good spat with them.
I can feel my blood pressure rising, got a nice bottle of red....deep breath.....and chill.......one day they will be gone.

 

Obviously there's no threat from any ****er getting in from West Park then.

 

Yeah I'd chill mate it ll be a couple of years and a few more bottles I'm affraid

 

Are you saying the smc are makin it up about the counter terrorism stuff?? Seriously. Let it go.
From the minutes of the sag meeting. Olm goes to that. This was from march.
Stadium Footbridges – Out of Hours Closure Proposals

The Chair touched upon the SMC’s proposals to close the stadium footbridges out of hours and that counter terrorism was the rationale behind the proposals, there was general discussion about proposal and the opposition that had been tabled by some local residents and a local Councillor that was still unresolved. RH questioned whether the threat was significant enough to justify the proposals, PC, who is a counter terrorism officer explained that that the access to the footbridges and general access to the stadium out of hours was identified as requiring action following a counter terrorism threat assessment and the identification of the vulnerabilities were was based upon real life intelligence.

 

Whats your opinion Chazz? Will closing that 1 gate really prevent a terrorist attack?

 

Let's look at it sensibly....
A 1.9 metre gate is not going to stop a terrorist, unless its Jeannette Krankie.
The gate does not protect the railway bridges or walkway, only access to the stadium area.
Access to all other sides of the stadium is protected by similar or waist high fences.
To protect the walkway area, it would have to be gated at both ends and fenced the entire way of the route.
Let's see how long it is before some drongo is in the HDM, after climbing over the gate and landing on their head pissed/drugged up.
Plugging it into the mains is an idea.....Ehab?

 

Seems strange but in these days if a counter terrorism organization are advising it I aren't going to argue with it.

 

I'm not against the closure outright, just think that if you are doing it you have to gate both ends properly, so people know the hours clearly.

 

Best way to counter terrorism is to get on with your life as normal

 

In view of the attacks that have taken place in London this year I would be more concerned about the vehicle access on match days rather than the walkway when the stadium is empty.

 

When did Jeanette Krankie become a terrorist?

 

Spot on

 

About 1981, her husband used to run Libya....

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I agree..

 

Good to finally hear the truth and reality surrounding this.

I suspect the majority of the angsty reactions are purely on the basis of the owners rather than any real ire.

 

Another day, another cringey, argumentative public statement.

It's so weird how they keep releasing stuff like this. They're always like chavvy Facebook rants.