New powers are in force across a wide area of Nottingham city centre to help stamp out anti-social behaviour following thousands of incidents.
Nottingham City Council says concerns over aggressive charity collections, noisy buskers, and unauthorised Big Issue salespeople prompted a rethink on how these issues are tackled.
In the space of just six months between December and June 2026, Nottinghamshire Police recorded more than 3,000 incidents relating to anti-social behaviour.
Colin Parr, the council’s corporate director of communities, environment and resident services, said: “A significant proportion of these incidents relates to nuisance behaviour, intimidation, unauthorised requests for money, disorder, and other forms of street-based anti-social behaviour.
“The council’s Community Protection Officers (CPOs) report persistent issues of obstruction, unauthorised requests for money, nuisance busking, and public urination and defecation.”
However, extra powers given to the CPOs under what is known as a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) expired last year, meaning they had fewer enforcement options available.
In May, the public was consulted on a new PSPO, and the responses helped shape a new order, which has now come into force for another three years.
The PSPO gives council officers the power to hand out fines in a particular area covered by the order, and these can carry a maximum penalty of £1,000.
It covers an area from Mansfield Road, just short of the Forest Recreation Ground to the north, the area up to Victoria Park bordering St Ann’s to the east, the area around the railway station up to Meadows Way to the south, and finally the streets around Nottingham Castle, including Derby Road, to the west.
According to the council, officers discovered individuals and organisations approaching members of the public and asking for charitable donations without the consent of the authority.
Officers say they have seen young, impressionable people targeted and persuaded to enter into an ongoing financial agreement.
However, since the last PSPO expired, they have not had any powers to intervene.
A similar problem has also been found with Big Issue salespeople.
While the council says it works closely with Big Issue to agree a number of locations from which the magazine can be sold by those who are genuinely homeless or unemployed, not all of those selling it are authorised to do so.
“Rogue vendors of this type have an adverse impact on the sales, and often the reputation, of those vulnerable people who are legitimately authorised to sell, but at present, since the lapse of the 2019 Order, authorised officers have no powers to intervene,” Mr Parr added.
The new powers will also help tackle nuisance busking and street entertainment, particularly around the Council House, where the coroner holds inquests.
The council says the coroner’s work involves meeting bereaved families who are receiving distressing and life-changing news about their loved ones, and a ban around the Council House will be enforced to ensure these conversations can take place in a respectful and quiet location.
While such a ban did draw criticism from the Musicians’ Union, the council says it does not believe the order is too restrictive, with busking allowed elsewhere.
The powers will also help clamp down on public urination and defecation, improper mobile advertising, and the distribution of pamphlets and other physical media after concerns were raised over littering.
Councillor Matt Shannon, executive member for community protection, neighbourhoods and equalities, added: “Public Spaces Protection Orders are an important part of our toolkit for responding to anti-social behaviour.
“By bringing in these restrictions, we will make our city centre safer and more welcoming for everyone, whether they live here, work here, or are visiting.”
