Fascinating Insight Into TV Licensing WOIRA Policies

The BBC has just released a tranche of documents related to TV Licensing's handling of people that withdraw the implied right of access (WOIRA) to their properties.

A huge hat tip to Mark at Licence Free who did some digging about using the Whatdotheyknow.com website.

Some snippets quoted directly from the BBC's released policy documents to whet your appetites:

•  "Requests to withdraw the implied right of access must be respected as TV Licensing Enquiry Officers would be committing trespass if they visited the address after the right of access had been withdrawn."
• "There is no legal requirement to provide a name when someone withdraws their mplied right of access."
• "Notice of WOIRA is not legally required to be in writing. TV Licensing may receive a notice of WOIRA via either: letter, email, telephone or verbally to an enquiry officer."
• "If a person being visited (by an enquiry officer) states that they have already withdrawn the implied right of access for TV Licensing officers to visit the premises, you should... apologise and leave immediately assuring the person seen that the matter will be investigated."
• "An occupier of a property has the right to withdraw this implied right of access for certain people, or groups of people, to set foot on their property and knock on their door."

All very interesting stuff, so do head over to read the unedited version at Whatdotheyknow.com.

Edit (31/7/13): A template WOIRA letter is now available to download from our Resources page.