Security planning in response to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act
Case reference FOI2026/00636
Received 16 April 2026
Published 14 May 2026
Request
1. Has the council undertaken any internal assessment or planning in relation to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act?
2. Has the council identified any council-owned or operated premises that may fall within the scope of the Act? If yes, please indicate the number of locations.
3. Has the council already got effective Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Measures (HVM) securing key locations?
4. What percentage of identified locations still need to be secured with HVM measures?
5. The full amount (in £) the council has spent to date implementing the aforementioned measures as well as the amount of money (in £) assigned in relation to responding to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act.
6. If you have not yet assigned a budget or implemented measures, do you expect to do so in the next 6 months? (please answer either Yes, No or N/A)
7. Has any internal guidance documents, briefings, or training materials been produced relating to the Act?
8. Has the council engaged with private businesses to educate them on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act?
9. Does the council have plans to support private businesses financially in implementing relevant security measures to ensure compliance?
10. Has the council received guidance or communications from central government or regulators regarding the Act?
Response
(Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act – “Martyn’s Law”)
1. Has the council undertaken any internal assessment or planning in relation to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act? Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has monitored the progress and development of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act (commonly referred to as Martyn’s Law), including publicly available Home Office updates. At this time, no formal internal assessment or detailed implementation planning has yet been undertaken, as the substantive provisions of the Act have not been commenced. While statutory guidance was published by the Home Office in April 2026, the council has not yet moved into detailed implementation planning pending commencement timescales and regulatory guidance from the Security Industry Authority.
2. Has the council identified any council-owned or operated premises that may fall within the scope of the Act? If yes, please indicate the number of locations. The Council has not yet formally identified or designated council owned or operated premises that may fall within the scope of Martyn’s Law. Such identification will be carried out once the Act is commenced and the final statutory guidance and qualifying thresholds have been confirmed. However, a briefing document was produced in September 2024 outlining various locations, which tier they fall under and what initial scoping is required. See: “Martyn's Law - TWBC locations DRAFT.docx”
3. Has the council already got effective Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Measures (HVM) securing key locations?
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has some existing security and public safety measures in place across certain locations, implemented for general public, staff safety and event management purposes. These measures were not installed specifically to meet the requirements of Martyn’s Law, and no formal assessment has yet been undertaken to determine whether they would constitute Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) under the Act.
4. What percentage of identified locations still need to be secured with HVM measures? As Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has not yet formally identified premises that fall within the scope of Martyn’s Law, and no determination has been made regarding required mitigation measures, it is not yet possible to calculate a percentage at this time.
5. The full amount (in £) the council has spent to date implementing the aforementioned measures as well as the amount of money (in £) assigned in relation to responding to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act. The Council has not incurred any specific expenditure solely for the purpose of implementing measures in response to this Act. No dedicated budget has been allocated for compliance with the Act at this time.
• Amount spent to date: £0
• Amount allocated: £0
6. If you have not yet assigned a budget or implemented measures, do you expect to do so in the next 6 months? (please answer either Yes, No or N/A) At this stage, the Council cannot confirm whether a budget will be allocated or measures implemented within the next six months. This will depend on the commencement of Martyn’s Law, the publication of statutory guidance, and any associated funding arrangements or obligations placed on local authorities.
7. Has any internal guidance documents, briefings, or training materials been produced relating to the Act? Some internal guidance documents, briefings, or training materials have been produced specifically in relation to Martyn’s Law at this time, however preparation is in process within the council.
8. Has the council engaged with private businesses to educate them on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act? The Council has carried out specific engagement with private businesses and partners regarding Martyn’s Law. General advice on community safety and resilience may be shared through existing channels where appropriate. There will be targeted education programmes and training in relation to the Act.
9. Does the council have plans to support private businesses financially in implementing relevant security measures to ensure compliance? Currently has no plans to provide financial assistance to private businesses for the implementation of security measures related to Martyn’s Law.
10. Has the council received guidance or communications from central government or regulators regarding the Act? The Council is aware of publicly available communications and updates issued by central government in relation to Martyn’s Law. No bespoke guidance, formal regulatory instruction, or direct direction requiring local implementation action has been received to date. The council work closely with NaCTSO and ProtectUK and receive local presentations, updates, have online sessions, focusing on the Crime Prevention Toolkit and latest legislation requirements.
Documents
This is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.