Latest news with #PSPO
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Council looks to extend dog fouling order
A council is looking for people to share their views on a proposed renewal of a legal order to clamp down on dog Borough Council's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is expiring, and the authority wants to continue to use the powers.A separate order covering Lydiard Park is also due for renewal. It has been in place since 2016, and the council said it has reduced the number of complaints about fouling, nuisance dogs and their Jim Grant, cabinet member for communities and partnerships, said dog fouling was regularly raised by residents who use local parks and open spaces. The PSPO allows anti-social behaviour wardens to issue fixed penalty notices to anyone caught failing to pick up after their Grant urged people to complete an online survey about the order."We think it is working," he said. "But by law, after every three years, we have to renew it, and we have to consult with the public to determine whether they want it renewed."It's pretty obvious that people do want it renewed, and I'm hoping that people that do respond to the consultation will not just say yes, but give further views on the subject." Councillor Grant added that even people who fail to respond to a warden can still be fined."Almost nobody goes to Lydiard Park without a car. If they ignore the officer, that officer can then note down the number plate, and we will be able to get these people," he said."The more fines we're able to issue, the more of a deterrent it is going to be."He said the council is also looking to employ more wardens to address the survey can be completed on the council's website until 20 July.
Metro
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Gran fined £100 for setting up a table in the street because it broke Asbo law
A grandmother could be left with court costs of up to £1,000 for setting up a camping table in a city centre. Heather Rawling was campaigning against council cuts in Leicester and had set up a 6ft (2m) camping table to hold leaflets and petitions. The 72-year-old was approached by a warden within around 30 minutes who ordered her to dismantle it – but when she said no, she was handed a fine. Heather was told the table was in breach of a public spaces protection order (PSPO), which are designed to reduce anti-social behaviour like street drinking, riding e-bikes, and using loud speakers. But the gran-of-one, a member of the Socialist Party, fears the additional rules against tables and other 'unauthorised structures' are designed to suppress freedom of speech and political campaigning. She explained: 'We were in the city centre and had a little campaign stall where we were protesting against the cuts by Leicester city council. 'I accept the PSPO can be needed to deal with people on e-bikes, noisy speakers or street drinkers. 'But this was a small camping table which we had for leaflets and so people could sign a petition. 'I firmly stood my ground as I feel this is an attack on people's rights to campaign. 'There are people up and down the county who do campaign stalls and tables everywhere. 'All I had was a camping table two metres long in a wide pedestrian area. I don't think we were in anybody's way. There was plenty of space. 'I was not obstructing anybody, I wasn't causing a nuisance. The council might think I'm a nuisance, but in terms of passers by and pedestrians, they didn't care at all. 'The warden asked me if I was aware of the PSPO and explained what it was and asked me if I was prepared to take the stall table down. 'He asked for my details and I was reluctant to at first. He even said he would call the police so I gave him my information. 'He issued me with a fixed penalty notice. 'I think this was political – we were asked to take it down because we were campaigning about council cuts.' Three days after the incident on May 31 Heather, a gran-of-one, received a fine of £100 in the post. She has vowed to plead not guilty and fight the fine in court – but she reckons she could be £1,000 out of pocket if she loses. She explained: 'The danger is if I lost in court, they could charge court costs. I am taking a risk, but I feel strongly about this issue. 'I'm not going to pay it on principle, and if I have to go to court, I will. 'All groups should have a right to campaign. 'The council issued the PSPO order that includes amplification, people on e-bikes and e-scooters. At the end of the order they've tagged on unauthorised structures like stall tables. 'We are in an era full of austerity and cutbacks and despite more and people getting angry about what's happening they don't want us to protest about it.' A Leicester city council spokesperson said: 'This group had put up a table, in breach of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that covers the city centre. More Trending 'One of our wardens asked them to take down the table and advised that if they didn't, they would be issued with a fixed penalty notice. 'They refused to take it down and so a fine was issued. 'The PSPO does not restrict freedom of speech, but it does restrict the nuisance of amplifiers, gazebos and other structures that more than 1,100 respondents to our consultation told us negatively impacted their experience of Leicester city centre. 'Many groups have been respectful of this so far and, as a result, the environment in the city centre is noticeably improved.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Trump likens LA protests to foreign 'invasion' amid attempt to block him from using troops MORE: Rioters throw petrol bombs and fireworks at police during second day of Ballymena riots MORE: Man found dead in a car outside Asda in Leicester
BBC News
07-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Leicester woman vows to fight 'political' camping table fine
A woman has vowed to fight a fine she was given for setting up a table in Leicester city centre while campaigning against city council Rawling was given a £100 penalty under new rules to prevent anti-social behaviour on Saturday 31 72-year-old, from Leicester, said she believed the fine had been issued to prevent political campaigning and she would rather go to court than council said its new public spaces protection order (PSPO) introduced in April does not restrict free speech and that Mrs Rawling had been fined for putting an unauthorised structure on the highway. Mrs Rawling, a member of the Socialist Party, said she was not causing a nuisance or blocking the highway. "I accept the PSPO can be needed to deal with people on e-bikes, noisy speakers or street drinkers," she said."But this was a small camping table which we had for leaflets and so people could sign a petition."I don't think we were in anybody's way. There's plenty of space. We weren't being a nuisance."I think this was political - we were asked to take it down because we were campaigning about council cuts."It was all very amicable. The warden asked me to take it down. I said I would not and he issued a fine."I'm not going to pay it on principle, and if I have to go to court, I will."Mrs Rawling said she was opposing cuts to public services at the city council, including potential closures of community centres, and public sector job council said the penalty for breaching a PSPO could rise to £1,000 if the matter goes to court for prosecution. 'Noticeably improved' Campaigners previously wrote to Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby seeking assurances they are exempt from the PSPO.A number of groups including unions and political parties said they feared the order could "constitute an unjustified limit on their democratic rights" as the ban also includes "unauthorised structures" such as banners, stalls and told the BBC: "There's absolutely nothing in the PSPO that prevents people from going out and trying to persuade people on political matters - if they do it without a table or gazebo or loud speaker."A council spokesperson said: "The PSPO does not restrict freedom of speech, but it does restrict the nuisance of amplifiers, gazebos and other structures that more than 1,100 respondents to our consultation told us negatively impacted their experience of Leicester city centre."Many groups have been respectful of this so far and, as a result, the environment in the city centre is noticeably improved.""This group had put up a table, in breach of the public spaces protection order (PSPO) that covers the city centre. "One of our wardens asked them to take down the table and advised that if they didn't, they would be issued with a fixed penalty notice. "They refused to take it down and so a fine was issued."The council said three fixed penalty notices were issued in May under the new PSPO rules - all relating to unauthorised use of unauthorised structures on the highway.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Crawley Tilgate Park visitors asked for views on dog lead rules
Visitors to a Crawley park are being asked for their views on rules about dogs being on leads.A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has been in place in areas of Tilgate Park since 2022, and Crawley Borough Council intends to renew it for a further three PSPO means all dogs must be kept on a lead around Tilgate lake, the park's main lawn, peace garden and the golf course (excluding the perimeter path) at all member for public protection, Yasmin Khan, said the council wanted to ensure the park was a safe place for residents and visitors to enjoy. Since the introduction of the PSPO, she added there had been an "immediate reduction in dog-on-dog attacks in the park and there have been no reported incidents of wildlife deaths, including cygnets, swans or deer".The council wants to renew the order before it expires later in the year, and Councillor Khan encouraged local residents and visitors to share their thoughts in the dogs are exempt from the order and dogs can remain off the lead throughout the rest of the dogs are permitted in the children's not obeying the order can be asked to stop, and council officers can issue fixed penalty notices with the option to prosecute in court if tickets are not consultation runs until 19 June.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Anti-social behaviour down after town centre booze crackdown
ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour has dropped by more than 65 per cent since powers were introduced in Macclesfield town centre to crackdown on booze-fuelled disorder, a councillor said. Ward councillor Ashley Farrall (non-grouped) was speaking at today's (Thursday) meeting of the environment and communities committee where he asked members to back recommendations to extend the public spaces protection order (PSPO) for another three years. The order enables PCSOs and authorised council officers to ask people to hand over alcohol if they are drinking in the town centre or have it in their possession and are likely to cause anti-social behaviour. Cllr Ashley Farrall (Image: Cheshire East Council) Cllr Farrall told the meeting at Macclesfield Town Hall: 'The current PSPO has been a valuable and effective tool since its implementation in July 2022… 'At the time, we were responding to a very real need. 'Residents and businesses were constantly reporting issues of alcohol-fuelled disorder, each causing alarm or intimidation and a general decline in the public environment. 'We knew that if we were going to reclaim our town centre as a safe, welcoming space, a focused, fair intervention was needed. Since then, the PSPO has delivered results.' He said the total number of anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents had dropped by more than 65 per cent since the order had been in place, alcohol-related ASB incidents had more than halved and in the first three months of this year there had been just two alcohol-related ASB incidents recorded. 'These are not just statistics, they represent real improvements for the people who live, work and visit the town centre every day,' said the Macclesfield councillor. 'Importantly, the order has been used proportionately and sensitively. 'No fixed penalty notices have been issued under the order. 'This is a tool, not for criminalising vulnerable individuals, it's a mechanism for early, calm, preventative action that empowers our officers to step in before behaviour escalates.' He added: 'And I want to be clear on one point, this order is not and will not be used to criminalise rough sleepers, people experiencing homelessness in our town. 'The aim is to address anti-social behaviour, not to penalise people experiencing homelessness.' Cllr Liz Braithwaite (Image: Cheshire East Council) Fellow ward councillor Liz Braithwaite (Lab) said the PSPO was 'a valuable tool for police and enforcement officers to both tackle and deter the ASB associated with problem drinking'. The committee voted unanimously to extend the PSPO for three years, meaning it will expire in July 2028.
