Manchester City Council consulting on abortion clinic buffer zone

Manchester City Council is consulting on plans to implement a buffer zone around an abortion clinic that will restrict the activities of pro-life volunteers. 

It wants to impose a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) on the streets around the Marie Stopes clinic in Fallowfield. 

If the PSPO is given the go ahead, it could prevent campaigners from holding prayer vigils near the clinic or offering women information about alternatives to abortion. 

However, the consultation also proposes allowing an area within the buffer zone that would allow people to assemble with fewer restrictions. 

Supporters of the PSPO have complained that the proposed boundary is "still too close" to the clinic and that under the restrictions, only A3 signs would be prohibited. 

The consultation reads: "The behaviours that the PSPO could prevent includes protesting, intimidation, harassment or interfering with staff or users of the centre. It could also prevent people from recording, photographing, broadcasting loudly, displaying or distributing materials about abortion care." 

It does not detail the penalties that breaches of the PSPO will entail, stating only that "to enforce these rules, a PSPO would give officers the authority to deal with people who break the rules". 

Pro-life campaigners deny that they harass women and insist that their vigils are peaceful. 

Earlier this year, police were called to investigate after pro-life volunteers were attacked as they held a vigil near the Fallowfield clinic.

A similar buffer zone to the one proposed in Manchester is already in place in Ealing where the council imposed a 100m exclusion area around the local Marie Stopes clinic. Pro-life campaigners challenged the buffer zone in the Court of Appeal but lost last month. 

Manchester City Council is inviting responses from residents until November 15. 

"This consultation will help us to understand if a PSPO is an appropriate response and will help inform the decision whether or not we go ahead with these proposals," it said.

"Please share your ideas if you think there is another way to deal with these issues. We are keen to hear your views."