Public Space Protection Orders extended to restrict street drinking and punt touts in two areas of Cambridge
Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) designed to tackle anti-social behaviour in two parts of Cambridge have been extended for a year by the city council.
One grants powers over the consumption and open carrying of alcohol in Mill Road Cemetery, the front of Ditchburn Gardens and Petersfield Green, and the other prevents punt touts from operating in large parts of the city centre.
The PSPOs were due to lapse later this year as they can only be imposed for a maximum of three years at a time, but a consultation with the police and crime commissioner, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, community representatives, local councillors and landowners found 92 per cent of respondents were in favour of extending them.
Cllr Alex Collis, executive councillor for open spaces, sustainable food and community wellbeing, said: “I’m pleased that these two PSPOs will be extended, as both have been effective in reducing anti-social behaviour.
“It’s important that local communities have the option of using this carefully targeted measure to tackle behaviour which is affecting the quality of life where they live, work or spend time.”
Councils can make PSPOs on designated public spaces within their area to deal with nuisance or anti-social behaviour in a particular place, but only following consultation with local organisations and police.
The orders can be used to prohibit drinking alcohol in a public place where it regularly causes a serious nuisance or disturbance to local people, or tackle issues such dog control in a problem area or illegal touting for business.
The PSPOs covering Mill Road Cemetery, Petersfield Green and Ditchburn Place Gardens initially came into force in 2016, after concern over persistent street drinking and alcohol-related disorder in the area.
The city centre PSPO, first introduced in the same year, is designed to deter punt tout operators from verbally advertising or soliciting for custom. It was devised following a large number of complaints from members of the public.
Flouting the orders can land the culprit with a fixed penalty notice.
The council said behaviours prohibited under both PSPOs has decreased since 2016 ad it will continue to gather information on the scale of anti-social behaviour in both areas to inform decisions on how to address it.
Councillors on the environment and community scrutiny committee approved the extension of the orders at their meeting on March 24.
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