By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post.
A church in west London has successfully forced local authorities to reverse a ban that restricted street preaching, leaflet distribution and public displays of religious messages. The decision follows a legal challenge that argued the rules were unlawful and infringed on fundamental rights.
The Kingsborough Centre, a Pentecostal church based in Uxbridge, filed for a judicial review after discovering in 2023 that its regular outreach activities had been made illegal under a Public Spaces Protection Order issued by the London Borough of Hillingdon.
The church found out about the order during a prayer meeting and said it hadn’t been consulted beforehand, as confirmed in a subsequent meeting with council officers, the U.K.-based group Christian Concern said in a statement provided to The Christian Post on Sunday.
The PSPO, introduced under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, banned the use of amplification equipment, the distribution of religious literature and the display of Bible verses in Uxbridge town center. Church members said police confronted them the day after the order was published, warning that their preaching, signs, and leaflets breached the order and could lead to £100 ($135) fines or prosecution, as reported by The Standard.
The Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is Christian Concern’s legal arm and supported the Kingsborough Centre, stated that signs with messages such as “Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings” were targeted, along with leaflets titled “How Can I Know God?” and “What is Christianity: An Introduction to the Story of Jesus.”
The church had been engaging in such outreach for years, including peace events after the 7/7 London bombings and running services like nurseries and affordable childcare across Hillingdon and Hounslow.