Tackling antisocial behaviour in the borough

Overview

The  Council is consulting on a proposal to introduce a single, consolidated Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering a number of different types of antisocial behaviour in public spaces across the borough. The proposed PSPO would bring together existing controls and any additional restrictions within one overarching framework. Some restrictions may apply borough-wide, while others would apply only in specific locations where evidence demonstrates that a targeted approach is necessary and proportionate.  

Here is a summary of the main proposals and you can view the full draft consolidated PSPO below:

• Alcohol-related anti-social behaviour: Tackling behaviour linked to alcohol consumption that causes harassment, alarm or distress, including failure to comply with lawful requests to stop drinking or surrender alcohol.
• Nuisance vehicles: Tackling activities such as excessive engine revving, racing, dangerous stunts and other vehicle-related nuisance, and making excessive noise.
• Busking and street entertainment: Regulating performances that cause nuisance or obstruction, including restrictions on locations, times, duration and amplification.
• Wildlife feeding: Preventing the deliberate feeding of wildlife, including pigeons and other animals, in designated areas where this causes problems.
• Illegal drugs and psychoactive substances: Restricting the use or preparation for use of illegal drugs and psychoactive substances in specified public spaces.
• Public urination and defecation: Prohibiting urination or defecation in public.
• Loitering causing harassment, alarm or distress: Tackling behaviour by individuals or groups that causes harassment, alarm or distress, rather than simply gathering in public.
• Aggressive begging: Addressing begging involving intimidation, persistent approaches, following individuals or other behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress.
• Cycling and scooters on pavements: Restricting the riding of bicycles, e-bikes and scooters on pavements in specified areas, subject to appropriate exemptions.
• Dockless rentalbike parking and obstruction: Tackling dockless rental bikes, e-bikes and scooters left in ways that cause unreasonable obstruction.
• Aggressive street fundraising (chugging): Tackling persistent or intimidating fundraising approaches, including following, obstructing or repeatedly approaching people after they have declined.
• Delivery-rider congregation and obstruction: Addressing situations where groups or equipment obstruct public spaces or cause nuisance, without restricting lawful delivery work.
• Vehicle engine idling: Requiring drivers to switch off stationary vehicle engines when lawfully directed to do so, unless an exemption or reasonable excuse applies.
• Illegal street trading (including ice-cream vans): Tackling unauthorised street trading that causes obstruction, nuisance or other specified detrimental behaviour.

Why your views matter

The purpose of the consultation is to give residents, businesses, visitors and other stakeholders an opportunity to comment on each proposed restriction, including whether it is needed, where it should apply and whether there are any unintended impacts or alternative approaches that should be considered. The responses will be considered alongside service-request and enforcement data, hotspot mapping, Police and partner evidence, legal advice, equality considerations and proportionality assessments before any final decision is made. The consultation is therefore not seeking endorsement of a predetermined set of restrictions; individual proposals may be amended, narrowed or not progressed in response to the evidence and feedback received.

If you have any queries, require a paper copy of the feedback survey, or require assistance in other languages, please contact the Community Safety team at CommunitySafety@rbkc.gov.uk