Staffordshire town set to crackdown on e-scooters and e-bikes
The town centre has been covered by a Public Space Protection Order since 2019
Riding of e-scooters and e-bikes is set to be included in a council crackdown on anti-social behaviour in Newcastle town centre.
Religious groups that set up stalls, tables or leaflet stands in the town centre will have to seek permission first from Newcastle Borough Council, as part of action to control “temporary structures”.
The town centre has been covered by a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) since 2019. The order currently in place bans activities such as consuming alcohol in the street, drug taking, littering, urinating in public view and aggressive begging, and anyone caught falling foul of the order can face a fine.
A Newcastle Borough Council report revealed that eight fixed penalty notices were issued to people caught breaching the town centre PSPO during 2023, doubling to 16 in 2024. In the first seven months of this year, four fixed penalty notices were given out.
The PSPO covering the town centre is now due for renewal. Members of the council’s Public Protection and Licensing Committee agreed for a 12-week public consultation to take place so residents, businesses and other organisations can give their views on the renewed PSPO.
"Main issues"
The committee report said: “The main issues in Newcastle town centre have been highlighted as street drinking, drug taking, aggressive and/or persistent begging, general antisocial behaviour and vandalism/defacement of property. More recently, unauthorised encampments and misuse of e-scooters have also been an issue.
“The PSPO is to be used as a complementary tool that can be used by Staffordshire Police or authorised officers of Newcastle Borough Council to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour within the PSPO boundaries.
"The proposed prohibitions for the Newcastle town centre PSPO (include erecting) a temporary structure in a public place without the permission of Newcastle Borough Council – temporary structures includes but is not limited to stalls, tents, tables, trestles or leaflet stands.
“Any person is prohibited from riding an e-scooter and an e-bike which does not meet the standard requirements of an Electronically Assisted Pedal Cycle. Any person may push and walk alongside their e-scooter (or non-complaint e-bike) through the exclusion zone.”
"pushes crime to the outskirts of the town"
Committee members backed the proposals at their meeting. They called for signs to be installed in the town centre to warn people they were not permitted to ride such vehicles through the town centre.
Councillor Gill Heesom, cabinet member for community safety and wellbeing, said: “I’m in favour of this. I think it’s good we are expanding our PSPOs to include use of e-bikes and scooters and I would encourage everyone to complete the consultation.”
Councillor John Williams said: “I agree with this decision – the only downside is it pushes crime to the outskirts of the town. Will restrictions include religious groups you see every Saturday putting leaflets out?”
Councillor Gillian Williams asked if the restrictions on e-bikes and scooters would apply to food delivery workers. She added: “It’s really dangerous in Newcastle”.
Council officer Michelle Hopper said: “It’s in relation to any of the electric scooters or e-bikes. If they are found to be breaching the PSPO, they will be dealt with accordingly.
“This isn’t about your average cycle. It’s e-scooters and e-cycles, that can go at quite considerable speeds, we want to target and restrict to make sure people are safe in the town centre.
“With regards to town centre (stalls and leaflet stands), we’re not prohibiting people who have permission from the council to undertake those activities. But we are asking people to make sure they are getting that permission from the council before they are undertaking such activity.”
Committee chair Joan Whieldon said: “E-anything terrifies me because you can’t hear them. I nearly had a car go over my foot because it was an e-car.
“It’s the same with bikes. On another committee I chair, for parks and open spaces, one of the things that came out of that report was that police are tracking them down through complaints and dealing with it.
“I have had two people complain to me bitterly that their child’s expensive vehicle was taken off them and destroyed. I had to explain to them the purpose.”