Hedgegate: Scientology finally complies with Highways demands at UK HQ

After eight months of dispute with West Sussex Highways, the Church of Scientology have finally removed a 130ft hedge, concealed fencing and wooden sleepers it had placed on public land opposite it’s UK headquarters in order to obstruct protestors.

The unauthorised structures were erected on the eastern side of Saint Hill Road directly opposite the main entrance to Scientology’s property in a flagrant attempt, the Church admits it made, to restrict the areas available for protestors to stand.

In an email to the Council on 1st October 2024, a Scientology representative argued the structures were “put there on the specific recommendation of Inspector Paul Scott of Sussex Police more than 10 years ago, and was inspected and approved by West Sussex Highways at that time,” however the Police do not have the authority to approve placing permanent obstructions along a public right of way and after being pushed by the Council they were unable to provide any evidence of the Highways department giving authorisation.

“The problem with what was there before,” the email continues, “was that when there was an occasional protest outside of the Church, protestors would try to congregate there.”

West Sussex Highways inspected the site, finding that “due to the proximity of the trees/hedge, in time they will inevitably push and/or dislodge the beams due to root and trunk growth which will cause a hazard to the highway, and some of them already appear to have done so.”

The Council subsequently ordered the obstructions be removed, referring to them as “unauthorised structures” and instead suggested Scientology apply for a licence which would allow a pre-approved species of hedge to be planted along the verge that would not intrude on the highway and allow adequate space for passersby and protestors to use the verge without interfering with oncoming traffic.

Scientology hedgerow — BEFORE: a hedge, wooden sleepers and concealed fencing spanned the highway opposite the entrance to Scientology’s UK headquarters

Unauthorised structures removed opposite Scientology's UK headquarters — AFTER: The hedge and fencing has now been removed, although some fence posts remain in place

In December, news came to light that Scientology had accused the Council of discrimination and filed a complaint alleging the “urgency in securing the removal of these trivial obstructions was only because you had received a complaint from an anti-Scientologist, and an agent for that anti-Scientologist, who wanted to stand in that area as part of an anti-Scientology protest coinciding with the International Association of Scientologists event taking place the next day. In other words your urgency was not driven by normal Highways priorities and concerns, but rather to facilitate an anti-Scientology protest at the entrance to the place of worship. This was direct discrimination.”

The complaint was not upheld and Scientology were given a deadline by which to remove the structures, after which the Council would be forced to remove them at the Church’s expense.

Scientology Business can now report that eight months after the complaint was first raised, Scientology have now removed the hedge, fencing and sleepers – although work still appears to be ongoing as several fence posts and roots remain in place.

It is unclear how much the legal threats and complaints filed by Scientology cost the taxpayer, however will be seen as a major victory for protestors, who are currently fighting a Public Spaces Protection Order which seeks to restrict demonstrations at the site.

Thanks go to the reader who sent in these pictures!