As local authorities and venue operators across the UK prepare for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, known as Martyn’s Law, hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) designer and manufacturer Heald Ltd is urging decision-makers to focus on practical delivery timelines to avoid serious manufacturing and installation delays.
Freedom of Information (FOI) data compiled by Heald shows that 67.6% of responding UK local authorities do not expect to assign a budget for Martyn’s Law within the next six months, with many waiting for final statutory guidance from the Home Office and the Security Industry Authority (SIA). While 61.5% of councils have started some internal planning, only 7.4% have allocated dedicated capital budgets for compliance so far.
Heald warns that holding back risk assessments and site surveys until final frameworks are published could create localised procurement and installation bottlenecks once demand surges.
“Compliance with Martyn’s Law is not a simple black-and-white checklist, and physical HVM measures form just one essential part of a comprehensive security strategy,” says Debbie Heald MBE, Managing Director at Heald Ltd. “Because manufacturing specialist infrastructure and conducting subterranean site assessments take time, waiting for final statutory guidance could mean facing inevitable practical delays. By starting risk assessments early and engaging in proactive dialogue, teams can secure internal alignment and avoid being caught in manufacturing and civil installation queues.”
Bath shows the value of planning early
The historic city of Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with around 6 million visitors a year, shows how early planning can overcome complex installation problems. Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES) moved to protect busy pedestrian areas from vehicle-borne threats well ahead of any statutory deadline.
Bath’s city centre sits over natural hot springs and Roman remains, with extensive cellars, service ducts and steep slopes limiting how deep contractors could dig. Working directly with Heald, the council installed a tailored, shallow-mount scheme across five sites, including Cheap Street, York Street, Upper and Lower Borough Walls and Hot Bath Street:
- Five Matador sliding bollard systems, crash tested to IWA 14-1 and needing minimal excavation.
- 21 APEX ultra-shallow mount stainless steel bollards, tested against a 7.2-tonne vehicle at 64kph.
- A custom cranked joining plate designed with council engineers to cope with steep street inclines, plus matching stainless steel covers so every site looks consistent.
Civil engineering works were completed with Volker Highways. “The success of the project is in no small part down to the early collaboration and constant communication between B&NES Council Highways Team and Heald,” said George Beastall, Engineering Department Manager at Heald.
Simon Thomas, Senior Engineer and project lead for the Bath City Centre Security scheme, added: “The project benefited from exceptional technical collaboration with the team at Heald. Their proactive communication and deep understanding of the design ensured a seamless flow of information from concept to site delivery, continuing right through to handover and ongoing contract management.”
“Security cannot be an afterthought”
“Security cannot be an afterthought once the guidance is published; it must be an integrated, foundational element of operational strategy,” adds Debbie Heald. “Being ahead of the curve is not just about compliance; it is about ensuring that the safety of our public spaces remains a priority, not a rushed reaction to a legislative deadline.”
Heald offers consultation on building physical HVM measures into wider security strategies ahead of the final Martyn’s Law frameworks. More on the Bath case study and pre-emptive risk assessments is at heald.uk.com/martyns-law.
About Heald Ltd
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Hornsea, East Yorkshire, Heald Ltd designs, manufactures, installs and maintains hostile vehicle mitigation systems. The family business is one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of security equipment, exporting around 70% of its products and services. Managing Director Debbie Heald was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to STEM and export.
