NOTICEBOARD

BEACH BAN

A photographer told by a council official he was not allowed to take pictures on a Dorset beach without a permit - because of a new 'bylaw' - is taking the matter up with politicians. Speaking to AP, Steve Cook fears the rule will hit wedding photographers who regularly use the beaches for their work.

It has also emerged that photographers must seek permission from Poole Council before taking 'commercial photographs on council-owned land'. The council says photographers also need to prove they have 'public liability insurance'.

Steve Cook had being taking photographs on the Sandbanks Beach for a charity project when a council warden stopped him. He displayed a photo rights card issued last year by the Bureau of Freelance Photographers, but to no avail.

Amid reports that a commercial photography permit is also now required for the borough's 'public highways', the incensed photographer promptly wrote to the council chiefs and local MP, Annette Brooke and Robert Syms. In the letter seen by AP, Cook blasts the move as 'petty officialdom'. He adds: 'Originally I was told that it was a Poole bylaw, now it just seems that there is a secret (that is, no one knows about it) directive that all professional photographers need a permit to take photographs in the Borough of Poole, including pavements and public highways.

'Not only is this blatantly an infringement of civil liberties, going against Home Office and Number 10 advice, but it is totally unworkable. 'I would need in excess of 20-30 permits a week to carry out my work (as would most other pro photographers). Cook has called for an end to the 'outrageous restrictions on the 'livelihood and civil liberties of all professional photographers'.

Poole Council admits that the warden was 'incorrect' in telling Cook that the move was the result of a new bylaw. In a statement, a council official spokesman added: 'While we are keen to promote our beaches and other locations in Poole for this purpose, we must also balance this with the interests of other beach users and our duty to ensure public safety.'

The council later told AP that the requirement for permission and proof of public liability insurance is also designed to protect the privacy of children. This incident is the latest in a long line of clashes between photographers and officialdom over the past couple of years, sparking AP's nationwide campaign to defend the rights of photographers in public places.


From an article in Amateur Photographer magazine on the 'Snapshot' page column of the 24 October 2009 issue.