Documents: Scientology’s failed bid for UK protest ban

Posted on by Alexander Barnes-Ross
Scientology UK headquarters Saint Hill near East Grinstead

Back in July 2024, the Church of Scientology asked Mid-Sussex District Council to implement a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which would ban protesting outside their UK headquarters. Over the last ten months, Council officers have been diligently reviewing mountains of evidence supplied by the Church, protestors and other bodies such as Sussex Police and West Sussex Highways, and earlier this week they finally published a report recommending elected officials reject Scientology’s application.

The report notes there was no evidence to suggest the demonstrations in 2023 and 2024 resulted in any antisocial behaviour and that protestors remained peaceful and lawful at all times. The disruption to the local community instead, the report suggests, is caused by Scientology’s lack of due regard for safety and poor traffic management plans.

The final decision on whether to proceed with a PSPO will be made by a Cabinet vote on Monday at the Mid-Sussex District Council offices in Haywards Heath, but before then we thought you would be interested to see the report for yourself, along with all the evidence provided in its entirety.

Here’s the Council’s report, recommending refusal of the PSPO:

Application for a Public Spaces Protection Order PSPO – Saint Hill Road and West Hoathly Road EasDownload

And here are the 500 pages of evidence, that the Council used to inform their decision:

Appendix A 15.07.24 Redacted letter and enclosures re PSPODownload
Appendix Ba Maps and Photos For Cabinet Report LVCDownload
Appendix Bb Statutory Guidance Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014Download
Appendix C Saint Hill Manor Premises Licence PWA0364Download
Appendix D PSPO leaflet East GrinsteadDownload
Appendix E Public Spaces Protection Order Questionnaires for Church Protesters and ResidentsDownload
Appendix Fa Statement from Police Sergeant 3 November 2023Download
Appendix Fb Statement of Police Officer 5 November 2023Download
Appendix Fc Statement of Police Officer 25 October 2024Download
Appendix Fd Statement of Police Sergeant 26 and 27 October 2024Download
Appendix Ga Letter to residents about IAS event 23.10.24Download
Appendix Gb Proposed-PSPO-SaintHillRoad-ConsultationAreaMapDownload
Appendix Gc PSPO Redacted Evidence Gathering TableDownload
Appendix H Photos of traffic Saint Hill RoadDownload
Appendix I meeting notes PSPO with Matt Davey WSCC Highways Authority 07.02.25Download
Appendix J meeting notes PSPO with Dave Derrick Sussex Police 10.02.25Download
Appendix K MSDC Minutes Recorded PSPO Protesters 10th April with A BR additions redactedDownload
Appendix L ABR PSPO-Response-7thMay2025 re Church application 15 July 24Download
Appendix M 2023 2024 Photos of entrance to Saint Hill ManorDownload
Appendix N Protester website including protest rules and bannersDownload
Appendix O Church 28.04.25 redacted with PH commentsDownload
Appendix Pa Church information packDownload
Appendix Pb 2010 2012 and 2023 additional protest photos from Peter Hodkin 28.04.25Download
Appendix Q emails from Graeme Wilson 07.10.24 and 23.10.24.docxDownload
Appendix R photo of DM in fire and effigy of DMDownload
Appendix Sa Voluntary Code of Conduct to Protesters 22 May 2025 v3Download
Appendix Sb email response from protester to voluntary code of conduct 28.05.25Download
Appendix Sc Email response from protester to voluntary code of conduct 29.05.25Download
Appendix Sd Letter response from protester re voluntary code of conduct 29.05.25Download
Appendix Se Letter to Protesters 5 June 2025Download
Appendix Sf response from protesters to voluntary code of conduct 5 June 2025Download
Appendix Sg Code of Conduct letter 13.6.2025Download
Appendix Sh Email fof 14 June 2025 from a ProtesterDownload
Appendix Si Additional email response 16 June 2025 from a ProtesterDownload
Appendix Ta Voluntary Code of Conduct to Church 22 May 2025 v3Download
Appendix Tb Email response from Church re voluntary code of conduct 29.05.25Download
Appendix Tc Amended Voluntary Code of Conduct 13 June 2025Download
Appendix Td Email response from Church Solicitor 15 June 2025Download
Appendix Te map from Church with proposed protest areaDownload
Appendix Tf Email to Church dated 16 June 2025Download
Appendix Tg Email response from Church Solicitor 18 June 2025Download
Appendix Th email to Church Solicitor 18 June 2025Download
Appendix U Code of Conduct letter 13.6.2025Download
Appendix V Options assessment of the PSPO for Cabinet reportDownload
Appendix W PSPO_Evidence Summary_Table_ Statutory TestDownload
Appendix X Equalities Impact Assessment – Saint Hill PSPODownload

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Avatar for Alexander Barnes-Ross
Alexander Barnes-Ross https://www.scientologybusiness.com

Previously a staff member at the Church of Scientology London, Alexander Barnes-Ross now speaks out against the organisation's abusive practices in the UK. He serves as Editor of Scientology Business and since 2023, his activism has received international press attention (The Times, The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Observer, BBC News)

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