Chippenham PSPO consultation to begin in response to anti-social behaviour
Wiltshire Police says anti-social behaviour is one of the main issues fed back to them by the local community
A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is being considered for Chippenham town centre by Wiltshire Council, with a public consultation starting today (20/1).
The proposal is in response to a pattern of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) being recorded in the town by Wiltshire Police, with residents, visitors and businesses experiencing harassment, alarm and distress as a result.
PSPO's were introduced in Salisbury and Devizes last year to tackle similar issues.
A PSPO is a tool available in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which provides wide-ranging tools and powers for local authorities to help tackle anti-social behaviour. The Act gives councils the authority to draft and implement PSPOs in response to ASB issues affecting their communities, provided certain criteria is met.
The proposed order in Chippenham will aim to address the a number of issues in both the town centre and John Coles Park:
• Street drinking - prohibiting the drinking of alcohol or having open containers of alcohol. This would enable officers to seize any alcohol found on a person in the specified area.
• Anti-social behaviour caused by groups of people – enabling officers to ask groups of people exhibiting ASB to disperse and not return to the specified area for up to 48 hours.
• Issues with individuals under the influence or in possession of controlled drugs or other psychoactive substances
• People who urinate, defecate or expose their genitalia in a public place.
Anyone found in breach of the Order could be issued with an on-the-spot Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100.
The consolation opens today for people living in Chippenham and business owners to give their feedback to work out whether the PSPO proposal is the correct course of action.
The consultation will run for six weeks until 2 March and people can take part here.
Cllr Dominic Muns, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We have put PSPOs in place in Devizes and Salisbury within the last year and we are pleased that these are having a positive impact on the ASB that was being experienced by residents in those areas. So far, the police have issued multiple FPNs to offenders and have received positive feedback from communities including Salisbury BID. With our partners in Wiltshire Police and Chippenham Town Council now reporting that similar issues are being experienced in Chippenham, we feel that now is an appropriate time to consider another PSPO for Wiltshire.
“I’d like to assure people that Wiltshire remains a very safe and welcoming county, however, safeguarding our residents is a key priority for us in our Business Plan. As we consider the introduction of a PSPO in Chippenham, our local residents, business owners and visitors can feel reassured that we are taking these issues seriously.
“I want to encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation so we can gather the community’s thoughts and feelings on the issue before making an informed decision.”
Inspector Pete Foster, from Wiltshire Police, said “ASB in the town centre has been one of the main issues fed back to us by the local community. A Public Spaces Protection Order would give us the ability to tackle this behaviour to improve the town, allowing local residents, businesses, and visitors to enjoy Chippenham without having to witness the ASB that we have previously experienced. I would encourage people to give us feedback in this consultation process to make their voice heard.”