In south-east London, the Royal Borough of Greenwich has a new, borough-wide Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). It’s part of a wider trend whereby councils are shifting from PSPOs covering high streets and other hot-spot areas for nuisances and crimes to blanket orders.
The council’s first PSPO in 2016 addressed street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Woolwich town centre. As required by law, the council consulted on replacing two PSPOs across what it termed ‘town centre priority areas’, with the boroughwide order. The council reported that over 75pc of respondents supported the council’s proposal to introduce the PSPO boroughwide. It remains an offence to possess any open container of alcohol in the priority areas of Eltham, Plumstead, Abbey Wood, Greenwich Peninsula, around the Cutty Sark beside the Thames at Greenwich, and Woolwich (pictured).
The new PSPO like many around England and Wales covers control of dogs; ‘alcohol-related anti-social or criminal behaviour’; and drug-taking (of ‘any substance capable of stimulating or depressing the central nervous system to create a ‘high’). More unusual prohibitions are the throwing of any fireworks; and anti-social behaviour in public car parks. In the town centres of Woolwich, Greenwich, Eltham and Plumstead, the PSPO prohibits ‘loitering within 10 metres of a cash machine’; the riding or driving of ‘any self-propelled or mechanically propelled vehicle’; and use of sound amplification, aimed at buskers or preachers.
Councillor Ann-Marie Cousins, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said: “As a royal borough we are unapologetically taking a harder stance against known and persistent anti-social behavioural issues as we are committed to ensuring that people in our borough are safe and feel safer.
“Our residents and businesses have told us about the detrimental impact anti-social behaviour of this kind can have on living, working and visiting our neighbourhoods – they often feel powerless, intimidated and fearful of being in certain parts of the borough at certain times. No one should feel this way.
“I wholeheartedly welcome this boroughwide PSPO which will be in place for the next three years. Not only will it allow us the legislative right to keep our borough cleaner and safer, but most importantly, deliver on what residents have asked us to do.”
As for the all-important enforcement of such an order, from October 31, Royal Greenwich community safety enforcement officers have had the power to stop and issue £100 on-the-spot fines to anyone seen in the borough who breaks any of the new orders. Greenwich is bringing in also externally commissioned local authority support officers. Police can also enforce a PSPO.
Background
Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) were introduced under the Anti-social Behaviour and Policing Act 2014, to cover anti-social behaviour.
