Freerunning becoming an increasing concern for commercial property sector

Freerunning, or parkour, is becoming a worrying trend for property owners, a specialist lawyer has revealed.

Instances of freerunning have come to the fore after Premier League Clubs, including Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea, all obtained injunctions to discourage freerunners who gain entry to grounds and film themselves climbing and running over stadium stands and roofs, hundreds of feet above the ground.

But Steven Jennings, with Altrincham-based commercial property law firm Land Law, said commercial buildings are now a target for freerunners.

Land Law acts for numerous national and international property firms and Mr Jennings said he has obtained injunctions covering 130 buildings from Birmingham to Manchester, Liverpool, and the surrounding areas, to stop freerunners from gaining access and putting themselves, and others such as tenants and workers, at risk.

He said freerunners seem to have moved on from Premier League grounds to tall commercial buildings, or iconic buildings, or anywhere that makes for good Youtube footage.

“It’s is a growing tendency because it is becoming more of a business for some of them.

“One of these freerunners has his own website selling merchandise.

“They seem to want to target any type of building, and then another.

“One year ago it was Premier League clubs, now it is other buildings.”

He said shopping centres seem to be a current target, and revealed that Intu – which owns the Manchester Arndale and the Trafford Centre and is at the centre of a £2.9bn takeover battle – is one of the latest property groups to take action.

“Intu got an injunction just a few weeks ago covering 15 shopping centres all around the country. Shopping centres seem to be the flavour of the month.”

Property owners are concerned about health and safety issues on their land.

Mr Jennings said: “It is dangerous to the people themselves (freerunners) and people on the ground.

“They only have to slip, and a falling body can hurt people on the ground.

“Also, roofs are not meant to be clambered on in this way – anything falling to the ground, such as coping stones, can cause damage.”

He said freerunners can also be intimidating for building reception staff, and office workers: “They don’t climb up the outside of buildings, and they have tried to threaten their way past receptionists.

“In one building in Manchester city centre a woman working late was confronted by a gang of hoodies. She was not to know they meant her no harm, but it can be very intimidating.”

Mr Jennings said some companies are wary of the publicity freerunning can attract because, ultimately, it can be bad for business.

“Some companies don’t want to publicise their buildings have been affected this way – even though it is happening more and more.

“But it is a worrying trend for property owners.

“They might have to increase their security.

“Tenants could be harassed, and people might be put off even wanting to be in those buildings if it is not protected from that activity.”

And even though injunctions tend to succeed in discouraging freerunners, Mr Jennings said it just moves the problem on elsewhere: “They will warn them away from buildings covered by injunctions, but it will probably just push them on to other buildings.”