Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment. 

Recommendation:

1.    That Cabinet approves the designation of a PSPO in the Town Centre and Clifton Park, as detailed in Appendix 1, for a period of one year.

Consideration was given to the report which detailed the proposals to renew the Town Centre and Clifton Park Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO.) On 21st September, 2020, the Cabinet agreed to the implementation of a Public Spaces Protection Order for the Town Centre and Clifton Park to come into effect from 1st October, 2020. The relevant Statute dictated that such Orders could only be in place for a maximum of 3 years at a time, and, therefore, the Council had to consider whether to make a further Order.

A public and stakeholder consultation took place between 26th June, 2023, and 6th August, 2023. This took the form of an online public consultation via the Council’s website, and direct invitations to key statutory agencies, such as the Police and Community groups and RotherFed. Consultation on any proposed Order was a statutory requirement and following a review of the level of feedback received, it was decided a further period of consultation should be delivered in order to increase responses. This also included additional face-to-face engagements and took place between the 2nd-16th October, 2023.

Appendix 2 provided an overview of the Consultation responses. In total:

·       151 responses were received.

·       58% of respondents were in support of the proposed Order (11% preferred not to say), with strong support for the suggested clauses – 83% confirming that they felt the clauses matched key priorities for all stakeholders.

·       Comments were received suggesting that there were common issues in the Town Centre with anti-social behaviour, which match the requirements of the Order.

Following public and stakeholder consultation, the preferred option was to renew the Order formally, with an additional clause regarding vehicle nuisance, due to the significant evidence presented. In addition, and in acknowledgement of the enforcement challenges, it was proposed that the Order be made for one year only to allow for a review of the enforcement approach and any wider variations that may be required in future.

The renewed Order would cover the same area, with largely the same conditions as previously included in the Order. This included making it an offence for an individual to be found to be:

·       Continuing to consume alcohol when required to stop doing so by any authorised officer.

·       Behaving in such a way or using language that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to another person.

·       Approaching people for marketing or fund-raising purposes without an appropriate Licence.

·       Urinating or defecating in public, other than within designated public toilets.

·       Spitting saliva or any other product from the mouth.

·       Being in charge of a motor vehicle and using it in a way to cause a nuisance to others or anti-social behaviour.

The Order would also require individuals to keep a dog on a lead (other than in the designated dog exercise areas) in Clifton Park.

Appendix 1 to the report was the draft final Order for the Town Centre and Clifton Park Public Space Protection Order.

Resolved:-

That Cabinet approves the designation of a Public Space Protection Order in the Town Centre and Clifton Park, as detailed in Appendix 1, for a period of one year.