'Bibles for knives' bins go-ahead

nlnews@archant.co.uk
20 May 2010

CRITICS fear a church knife bin to encourage deposits of blades in return for Bibles will become a "white elephant".

Conservationists say installing a 200 kilogram reinforced steel knife bin outside Muswell Hill Baptist Church in Dukes Avenue will backfire.

It is planned under the Word for Weapons scheme which offers anyone who deposits a knife a pack containing a Bible and a magazine on street violence.

But John Crompton, of the Muswell Hill Conservation Area Advisory Committee, said in planning papers: "Such amnesties only tend to be productive for short periods when they are supported by a media campaign.

"There is the danger that when there is no such campaign the receptacle will not be used and over time will become an eyesore and white elephant."

The group sympathised with the aim but said a permanent knife bin was not in the public interest and could even increase fear of crime.

But English Heritage did not object to the project which has police backing, and the church won planning consent for a 1.25 metre tall by 96cm wide by 62cm deep bin supplied by the Salvation Army last Wednesday.

It is designed to be tamper proof, has a 100-kilogram concrete and sand base, and will be painted blue with logos and a helpline number on it.

Planners recognised the "community benefit" of the bin but granted consent until April 2011 only.

Reverend Andrew Picton, of Muswell Hill Baptist Church - which is just metres from the Broadway's busy nightclub strip - spearheaded the plans in reaction to a perceived spike in violent crime.

He said: "The background to this was the increasing awareness that firearms are used in the Muswell Hill area. We wanted to respond to that alarming situation and do it in a constructive way."

A gunman opened fire in The Hill nightclub last August and a daylight armed robbery took place at Thomas Cook in the Broadway last November.

Word for Weapons first piloted two knife bins in Islington last year and about 100 weapons were deposited.

The Muswell Hill bin is likely to be installed in the next two months.

"I don't know how much it will be used and I think a year makes sense," said Reverend Picton. "We can give it a while and if it's used then we can speak to the council and put in another application - and if it isn't we'll take it away.