Press Release: Order will protect public spaces
PRESS RELEASE
ISSUED 20 May 2020
Order will protect public spaces
RULES that help tackle the problems associated with public drinking, the taking of drugs and so-called ‘legal highs’ in all public areas of the borough have been renewed by the Borough Council.
Councillors voted unanimously to renew the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for a further three years after the public supported it in a consultation held in the autumn of last year.
First introduced in the borough in 2016, the PSPO is a measure created by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and intended to deal with activities carried out in a public space that have a detrimental effect on the local community’s quality of life.
Signs and maps where relevant are installed in parks and other public spaces to warn potential offenders that restrictions are in place with the aim of preventing individuals or groups committing anti-social behaviour in public spaces. A breach of the PSPO is a criminal offence and can result in a £100 fixed penalty fine. More serious offences can lead to prosecution with a maximum fine of £1,000.
The same legislation is also used to tackle irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after their pets or who do not have their pets under control, as well as helping to prevent a wider range of other environmental nuisances that are currently tricky to monitor and regulate.
Councillor Michael Mullaney, Executive Member responsible for Community Safety, said: “The updated and renewed powers given by the PSPO will ensure our main priorities of tackling anti-social behaviour can be enforced. We are also pleased that individual parishes have also identified and targeted specific areas to incorporate in the order. It is just a small part of the work, which is going on all the time to make the borough a safe place that people will want to live, work and visit.”
Councillor Bill Crooks, Executive Member responsible for Street Scene Services, Parks and Open Spaces added, “Parks and open spaces are there for everybody’s enjoyment, but some activities and behaviour can create a nuisance to other park users. After consulting with our residents we’ve now identified the real nuisance behaviour and effectively banned it which will make all of our parks and open spaces more enjoyable for everyone to use.”
The order for Hinckley and Bosworth will prohibit the use of so-called ‘legal highs’ and will also prohibit the consumption of alcohol if consumers are behaving anti-socially or causing alarm or distress to other residents.
At the same time the order requires dog owners to pick up after their dog and to keep their dog under control when on or off the lead.
New features
- Hollycroft Park dogs to be kept on a lead area has been extended and will now include the tennis courts and the bowling green, the pitch and putt and the bandstand arena.
- Ashby Road Cemetery remains dogs on lead throughout the entire site.
- Nine Parish Councils are now included within the order, and have opted for certain rules within their green spaces. These include Bagworth & Thornton, Markfield, Newbold, Peckleton, Ratby, Sheepy, Stanton Under Bardon, Twycross and Witherley.
All of the rules within this order have been supported by the consultation.
For more information call 01455 255971 or email:
ENDS