RESIDENTS have come out in support of continuing the buffer zone protecting women from protestors outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in East Twickenham.

The Twickenham Park Resident's Association has responded to a consultation launched by Richmond Borough Council with a statement that it has been a 'resounding success'.

The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) around the BPAS clinic in Twickenham, was put in place on April 1st 2019 to prevent incidents of protests and the targeted harassment of women who were entering, mostly by religious groups.

The current PSPO safety zone ends on March 31st 2022 and by law a consultation exercise must be carried out before it can be renewed.

There is currently a recommendation to keep the zone for at least the next three years and this will go to the Council's regulatory committee on October 12.

The Twickenham Park Resident's Association said: "We feel that the PSPO has been a resounding success and are very grateful to council officials for introducing the order in the first place.

"The removal of the protestors has had a significant beneficial effect on our members, many of whom use the route via the clinic to access the adjacent doctor's surgery, high street and public transport.

"We no longer have to deal with the awful sight of protestors intercepting women en route to the entrance of the clinic, with the inevitable conflict that this often provoked.

"Needless to say, the staff and all users of the clinic also benefit from having incident-free access to the clinic's healthcare.

"Additionally, if the Order were not renewed and considering the recent opening of the new primary school in the high street, we would be very concerned by the detrimental impact on young children and their mothers, many of whom pass by the clinic on a daily basis en route to and from the school."

Twickenham Riverside Cllr. James Chard said: "Visitors to the clinic were very regularly targeted on leaving and entering the premises by protestors.

"This was upsetting to patients and for staff and for nearby residents. Legally, we need to renew these orders every four years.

"Whilst we're proud to introduce a buffer zone, the targeting of women visiting a clinic by protesters is just quite one small part of the bigger issue regarding safety of women and girls locally and nationally."

Cllr. Chard also addressed the urgent need to change the behaviour and attitudes of boys and men, believing engaging with the views of members of the public through consultation can help put policy into action.

He added: "It's part of the council's job working with the police and others to ensure that people can visit the clinic in safety and with their privacy respected."

He welcomed the support from the residents' association, saying "It's good to see strong support from residents for the buffer zone stopping protesters from targeting women attending the BPAS Clinic in East Twickenham."