I think people don’t understand the concept of a ke’helah. In the olden days, the ruv of the ke’helah made the rules. What he said went, no two ways about it. The only times there was any problems was when there where people who weren’t frum. a
Gateshead community seems to be such a ke’helah. Hence, if the ruv ok and wants this rule, then that’s that.
The jewish Community in other places around the world, sadly lack rules because they don’t realty belong to ke’helahs.