Balaclavas could be banned in Nottingham as part of safety efforts
Balaclavas could soon be banned in parts of Nottingham as councillors aim to increase safety.
Balaclavas could be banned in one part of Nottingham as part of wider new efforts to make it the “safest city in the country”.
Nottingham City Council is currently in the process of bringing in a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for the city centre, to crack down on certain nuisance behaviours.
Within it, leaders are proposing that actions such as distributing leaflets without permission, selling the Big Issue in unapproved areas, interfering with street cleaning operations and causing unreasonable disturbance by busking, be outlawed.
It would mean that anyone caught participating in such activities would be breaking the law and could be prosecuted and fined.
The PSPO is currently going through a period of consultation – meaning that the public can give their views on whether bringing in such an order is a good or bad idea.
Speaking on Friday (June 5), council leader, Councillor Neghat Khan (Lab), revealed that balaclavas could be banned as part of the PSPO after respondents to the consultation flagged safety concerns surrounding the issue.
She said: “It’s a serious concern, people on e-bikes, it’s 32 degrees and you’re wearing a balaclava. That’s not acceptable. It’s about safety. People have got to feel confident. This is a place on the up but they’ve got to feel safe day or night.
“I am of the view that I understand religious reasons and things like that but in 32 degrees that we’ve had a couple of weeks ago, people were on bikes with balaclavas on – that doesn’t make you feel safe.
“Why are you wearing a balaclava? What are you hiding that you have to wear it in the peak of heat?”
Balaclavas do not form part of the current PSPO consultation, but Cllr Khan did not rule out including a potential ban in the order.
The leader’s comments were made at the city launch of the 2050 Nottingham Vision.
Cllr Khan was asked about making the city safer as part of the plans, which set out 10 ideas that those in charge want to implement over the next 25 years.
And she revealed that, in the next few months, she will begin a campaign which will involve her walking the streets of Nottingham for two hours every month with partner organisations, to look at issues such as litter and rough sleeping and work out how to address them.
She said: “There was some sort of report published that said Nottingham was the seventh most unsafe place in the country. As the leader of the council that’s not a tag I want.
“I don’t care who it is, any time, day or night, you should feel safe. This is your city and we’re not going to let criminals and others take it over. So I’ve said I’m not just going to talk about it.
“You will see me out every single month and we’re going to engage with businesses and communities, rather than than sitting in Loxley House having a meeting asking what we’re going to do. I will tell you when I’m out and where I’m going so just come and talk to us. You will see us on the street so come and tell me where you find the issues are.”
Cllr Khan even went as far to say that she wants Nottingham to reverse its fortunes to become the safest city in the UK.
She said: “I want to be the safest city in the country. People sometimes laugh at you when you say stuff like that. We’re at a low point. But I’m telling you. We are definitely going to go up and up and I’m not going to rest until we’re the safest city in the country.
“Our vision is only going to be successful if people feel that this a place that their money is safe and it’s going to grow. Safety is a key part of that. My commitment is we’re going to be putting money into that and real action.”
The consultation on the PSPO runs until 11.59pm on Tuesday 23 June.
Cllr Khan said the authority had had “quite a lot of responses” so far and that if the opinion was strong enough that the council would need to run a shorter consultation on the introduction of the rule.
The full list of proposed measures in the PSPO includes restrictions on:
- Obstructing access to buildings or blocking highways
- Interfering with street cleansing operations
- Unauthorised requests for money and certain street collections
- Big Issue sales from approved pitches only
- Busking that causes unreasonable disturbance
- Distribution of free materials such as leaflets without permission
- Mobile advertisements such as human A-boards or placards
- Urinating or defecating in public places
PSPOs were introduced under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, to “help address behaviours that have a detrimental impact on the quality of life of people in a local area.”