Rushcliffe residents are being encouraged to have their say on a revised order that could tackle problem street drinking, aggressive begging, leaving items in public places and urinating in public.
Rushcliffe Borough Council is asking for views on a revised Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) that seeks to address a small but impacting number of incidents related to the issues in recent years in the central and wider West Bridgford area.
The new proposed order maintains the restrictions on alcohol consumption in public spaces and removes previous rules on outdoor sleeping and replaces this with more specific restrictions that can be a cause of nuisance, annoyance, fear or distress.
It could be introduced to assist Police and other authorities with fixed penalty notices of up to £100 should individuals refuse to comply with the measures in the designated area that could now also include Lyme Park Pond and Broadstone Close Pond in Compton Acres.
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The revised order builds on the existing order having been used to positive effect since 2017 and will act as a strong deterrent to not flout its rules.
Residents can have their say in a survey until Friday October 25.
First introduced in 2017 and renewed in 2020, the PSPO was implemented to give additional powers to the authorities from those refusing to follow requests in incidents linked to wider anti-social behaviour and other issues.
Street drinking
Under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 the new proposed order will again outline that person(s) within the area surrender any alcohol in their possession to an authorised person on request, if:
- they are found to be ingesting alcohol, or
- they are in possession of alcohol with the intention of drinking it within this area, or
- the authorised person has reasonable grounds to believe that such person is using or intends to drink the alcohol within the designated area.
Items left in public places
A new part of the proposed order requires that where a person leaves belongings on land, such as the pavement or a playing field covered by the order that these can be asked to be removed or face a fine or prosecution.
Such items can lead to trip hazards, block access and make public areas look unsightly, preventing it being utilised for its intended use. It can include camping equipment or belongings left in doorways causing obstruction.
Dispersal of persons
In some cases, a person’s behaviour can be such a concern that it could lead to an officer requiring them to leave the area by imposing an exclusion period of up to 48 hours from a specific location.
This could be following a refusal to hand over drink for example, or other serious reason that is causing alarm, harassment or distress. It is expected that this will allow officers to respond proportionately to reports from members of the public in a more immediate and consistent manner.
Aggressive begging
Also newly proposed is an outline no person shall beg for money or for any other item whether expressly or impliedly in a manner that causes or is likely to cause nuisance, annoyance, fear or distress to any other person.
This addresses a small number reports from members of the public in recent years where concern has been raised the begging can give rise to issues, for example if occurring near a cash point, discouraging customers using a shop or facility or be intimidating.
Spitting, urinating or defecating in public areas
The final new element of the proposed order outlines no person shall spit, urinate or defecate on land or street furniture within the designated area.
Spitting, urinating and defecating in public areas is anti-social and can lead to the spread of disease as well as blight public areas.
A Full Council meeting is set to discuss and decide on the proposal in December this year. Should the proposals go ahead, signage outlining the existing PSPO will be amended to reflect the new changes.
For more details on the proposals visit https://www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/pspo/ or for questions email environmentalhealth@rushcliffe.gov.uk
