U-turn over ‘Big Brother’ style smoking ban

Dec 21 2006
by Vicky Anderson, Skelmersdale Advertister

COUNCILLORS have done a U-turn over plans for a ‘Big Brother’ style smoking ban in West Lancashire.

Conservatives wanted to ban council staff from smoking near council buildings and even in their own cars on the council car park at lunchtime.

The proposals made national headlines, but councillors now admit that the plans “went too far” and were like something from George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

From March next year, West Lancashire District Council will still stop employees’ smoking breaks and will be offering support to those wanting to give up.

Prior to last week’s full council meeting the radical policy would also have banned smoking in communal areas of council accommodation and stopped council staff from smoking in their cars on lunch breaks.

But it had “not been thought through properly”, admitted Cllr Adrian Owens (Conservative), who said that it would punish members of the public using council car parks at weekends to such an extent that “it’s almost Nineteen Eighty-Four stuff”.

Cllr Rob Bailey (Conservative) said: “The original policy just went too far. Instead we are going to remove smoking breaks and encourage members of staff to give up in their own time.”

Council leader Geoff Roberts (Conservative) added: “We can’t stop people smoking in their own house, in council houses or sheltered accommodation, it would be perverse – and we can’t prevent them smoking in public areas.”

Labour was incensed at the turnaround. Cllr Steve Hanlon said: “Regardless of views on smokers’ rights, what was put forward was a brave policy.

“It is a shame to change a policy that was forward-thinking and unique into something no better that has been done elsewhere and that is going to be done next year anyway with Government changes.”

Cllr Terry Rice (Labour) added: “When I first read it I thought ‘what are we doing?’ Then the unions backed it and really went out on a limb. Then on the night, you have watered it down.”

Cllr Owens baited the Labour group, by saying: “It’s the true socialists who are against the freedom of the people to smoke in their own property in their own time.”
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