Roller shutters lead to anti-social behaviour - police claim

West Yorkshire Police’s “designing out crime” officer, who advises building owners and Councils on the best ways to make an area safe, says streets full of shuttered shops can make areas seem intimidating – leading to people avoiding that area and, in turn, making it more likely that those areas will experience crime.

The comments were made in relation to the latest retrospective planning application for roller shutters on a listed building in Bradford city centre.

The issue of external roller shutters has proven to be one of the most controversial planning matters in Bradford in recent years.

Many business owners argue that metal shutters covering an entire shop front when shops are closed are the best way to prevent break-ins, especially in high crime areas.

But Bradford Council’s current policy is to refuse any application for roller shutters. Planners argue that shutters on businesses make streets look “dead” and uninviting – especially in areas with high numbers of take-aways that are shut for most of the day.

The Council currently has over 30 open planning enforcement cases against businesses in the District with unauthorised roller shutters.

The issue has once again raised its head with a fresh retrospective application to keep external roller shutters on popular Bradford Café Smorgasboard.

The café is based in a listed building on Rawson Place, and previous plans to retain the shutters have been refused.

Roller shutters on Smorgasboard cafe (Image: newsquest)

For years, owner Arif Mehmood has been involved in a planning wrangle with the Council. He wanted to install external shutters to prevent crime and vandalism, and said his shop has been targeted multiple times.

The Council has argued the building is not only Grade II Listed, but it is in the City Centre Conservation Area – meaning the authority had a legal duty to prevent any changes to the building.

Planners argued internal shutters would be more suitable for the business.

Earlier this year an appeal against Bradford Council’s latest refusal was dismissed by a Government Planning Inspector.

Inspector Elaine Gray said: “I find that the works are incompatible with the architectural quality of the building and have an adverse impact on those elements that contribute to the special architectural interest of this heritage asset. The shutters are particularly intrusive given the prominent corner location of the building.”

They added: “The appeal also refers to daytime problems arising from the presence of beggars and other individuals. However, as the shutters would presumably be open during these times, it is unclear how they could address these particular issues.”

The latest application says former Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns Williamson supports the idea of roller shutters, and claims business have left Bradford because they were not allowed to install them.

It adds: “The criminal activities that have taken place impact the reputation and economic value of the business. The shutters have allowed the business and its staff the security and sustainability which should be expected.”

But in response to the new plans Chris Hughes, West Yorkshire Police’s Designing Out Crime Officer, said: “Solid roller shutters whilst providing security, deaden a street scene.

“They do not let light out from the premises into the public realm and often attract graffiti, raising the fear of crime by their appearance.

“When a number of premises display this type of security shutter on the same street, the area can appear quite intimidating.

“This causes people to avoid an area creating the fear avoidance cycle.

“People perceive an area as having high crime, because of the way it looks, so they avoid it, which in turn encourages Anti-Social Behaviour etc, which causes residents and pedestrians to further avoid the area and so the cycle becomes embedded.

“A further problem with externally fitted shutters is they can be worked on by an offender without activating an alarm system which is installed at the premises.

“From a crime preventative or reduction point of view, the better solution is to have shutters fitted internally.

“They can be set back from the main display windows and coupled with appropriate low energy lighting, will enhance the immediate area.

“Windows displaying goods in the sterile area between glazing and shutter have the benefit of allowing customers to window shop even when a premise is closed.

“This leaves potential offenders in no doubt that they would have to breach the glazing before work started on the protective shutters.

“This style or design allowing light from the shop out onto the street gives the appearance of a well lit, well used area and thus reduces the fear of and opportunity for crime and reduces offending behaviour.”

He also questioned the claim that the shutters were needed because of the high number of crimes at the business – pointing out that one crime involves someone taking a laptop from a table while the café was open, and another happened after burglars gained entry through the roof.

A decision on the latest retrospective application is expected next month.