Two councils are to appeal against the High Court’s demand they stop publishing fortnightly newsletters – with one openly admitting it produces the title to circumvent the law around statutory notices appearing in printed newspapers.
Waltham Forest Council and Hackney Council have both confirmed to HTFP they will continue their legal challenges against the ruling, which had won praise for the presiding judge from local newspaper publishers.
The councils had launched the judicial review case after the Communities Secretary ordered them to publish their Hackney Today and Waltham Forest News freesheets no more than quarterly, in line with government guidelines.
In a ruling issued earlier this month, the High Court backed the minister, with Mrs Justice Andrews DBE saying the publications were taking up advertising revenue which would otherwise be available to local media.
But a Waltham Forest Council sought to turn that argument on its head, saying that it produced its freesheet precisely in order to avoid advertising in the local press.
A spokeswoman told HTFP: “We did not take the decision to challenge the government lightly. We produce Waltham Forest News because the government, by law, insist that councils pay to publish statutory notices in a printed newspaper. These rules mean local authorities currently pay an estimated £68m in council taxpayers’ money to comply with these rules.
“Waltham Forest News was our way of complying that also helps us communicate with all our residents, particularly those who are hardest to reach or who don’t have regular internet access. These are often the people most in need of help from our services.
“We know that our residents appreciate a newspaper that champions both the people and the area giving every household a vital guide to what’s on and what’s great about Waltham Forest. Therefore we are appealing the decision.”
Hackney Council has also confirmed it is appealing, but has declined to comment further.
Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville had previously told the Hackney Citizen he was “disappointed” with the judgment.
In spite of the High Court ruling, both councils published their respective newsletter last week as usual.
An MHCLG spokesman said: “We will be filing a government response to the application. We will not be commenting further at this time.”
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
If this was really about saving money by avoiding putting statutory notices in papers I might have some sympathy, but it’s really about ensuring their propaganda gets disseminated and avoiding the bad publicity that local authorities are rather prone to attracting.
Report this comment
“….the publications were taking up advertising revenue which would otherwise be available to local media”
Not so,local businesses have other more effective options nowadays so this isn’t money they’d have spent in a local weekly.
Publishers exploited rates, particularly PN, when they had no competition and had the audience numbers which local councils needed so were able to charge what they liked and did so. Having lost thousands of readers in recent years they no longer have the reach and are no longer effective for local business so you can’t blame them and the councils for using alternate methods to get their messages out.
There’s possibly an issue around frequency of publication but certainly not one of lost ad revenues, the greed of the publishers themselves coupled with the lack of paper buyers/readers caused the loss.
Report this comment
I have a degree of sympathy with councils re the exorbitant charges some publishers levy, though not a lot as where I cut rates for my publications but wouldn’t acquiesce the editorial freedom to criticise and so lost a contract to one that did.
However, what really sticks in my craw is the fact that these councils show contempt for the rule of law. Challenge the law by all means, but abide by it until you win your case!
If I flouted local by-laws and legislation imposed by my local council they would prosecute. I am sure Waltham Forest and Hackney Council’s regularly dish out fixed penalty notices and take people to court for breaking their rules, why should they get away with having their cake and eating it?
The government should step in and fine these councils or take their planning and highways powers away, negating the need for them to place notices.
Then see if they stopped being publishers.
Report this comment