A round-up of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs). To recap briefly, they are made by councils to tackle low-level crime or nuisance such as dog fouling or littering, usually in a specific place, although PSPOs can be made covering a town centre or an entire council area.
In Wolverhampton, the council reports a steady increase in anti-social behaviour – largely involving groups of youths – in and around Bentley Bridge retail and leisure park. Labour Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, and Wellbeing, pointed to a reduction in recorded crime in the city centre, partly due to the PSPO. She said: “Bentley Bridge is an incredibly popular retail and leisure venue and we want to ensure it remains a welcoming and safe place for everyone to visit.
“Public Space Protection Orders are designed to ensure the law abiding majority can continue to use and enjoy public spaces, safe from the threat of anti-social behaviour or nuisance. Data shows an increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour in the area over recent years, and, where a group of people or an individual is likely to cause, or is causing, anti-social behaviour, the PSPO would give police the authority to ask them to leave the area and remove any face coverings being purposefully used to disguise their identity.”
By law, a council has to go out to consultation before making any PSPO, which typically runs for three years, and which can then be extended. Wolverhampton’s is running until February 26. The Bentley Bridge PSPO, it’s proposed, would give powers to ask groups of three or more people to vacate the area if there is reason to believe they are causing or likely to cause a nuisance, and to remove masks.
West Oxon
An unusual PSPO by West Oxfordshire District Council covers illegal pony and trap racing along a stretch of the A40 between Witney and Burford. It follows some 19 recorded incidents since 2020, and safety concerns as raised by residents and Thames Valley Police (TVP). The council went out to consultation in autumn 2025. Councillor Geoff Saul, West Oxfordshire Executive Member for Housing and Social Care, said: “We’ve listened to residents and acted to keep people safe. This PSPO is a practical step to help prevent a dangerous activity that puts drivers, riders and animals at serious risk. We’ll continue to work closely with Thames Valley Police to protect our communities and maintain public safety.”
Heathrow
Another unusual PSPO is in west London, where Hillingdon Council set an order prohibiting taxis, chauffeurs, and private hire vehicles from waiting in residential streets in named areas around Heathrow Airport. Locals complained that some drivers were littering, publicly urinating and defecating, and causing noise and air pollution by idling. Since the PSPO came into force in February 2025, the council has issued 6,252 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to taxis and private hire vehicles. Wayne Bridges, Hillingdon’s Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, said: “The drivers of these vehicles are already provided with official designated waiting areas within the airport perimeter, yet many continue to disregard this.”
Dog fouling
Typically, PSPOs are to prohibit fouling by pet dogs, and in Bath the council has gone out to consultation about an order to cover cemeteries owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council. Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Communications and Community, said: “It’s disappointing that despite repeated efforts to raise public awareness, we continue to experience a significant problem with some owners allowing their dogs to run free in cemetery grounds. It’s not the dogs but their owners who are causing this problem for other people.”
Cumbria, coasts
In Cumbria, Westmorland & Furness Council is introducing PSPOs to cover beauty spots and three National Trust sites; to cover anti-social behaviour linked to fly-camping, irresponsible alcohol use, unsafe fires or barbecues, and dog fouling. Councillor Judith Derbyshire, Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: “We want to thank everyone who took part in the consultation, as well as the landowners who have worked closely with the Council to gather evidence. This partnership allows us to take a targeted, lawful approach that ensures landowner support is granted and the Order that reflects what the public wants to see.”
The council has gone out to further consultation until February 9 on proposed extension of such PSPOs to nine places in the Lake District, such as Ullswater, Bowness, Haweswater Reservoir (owned by Untied Utilities) and Ambleside.
North Yorkshire Council has gone out to consultation until January 26 for a PSPO to cover nine places in Whitby and Scarborough, where the camping and the lighting of fires and use of barbeques has resulted in significant and persistent littering, antisocial behaviour, according to the council. And similarly Isle of Wight Council is consulting until January 27, on a PSPO against the use of disposable barbecues and the release of sky lanterns and balloons on council-owned land. Some other councils have made similar, fire-risk PSPOs.
Background
PSPOs come under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Photo of Canterbury PSPO signage by Mark Rowe.
