Public Spaces Protection Orders

What are Public Space Protection Orders?

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) were introduced in 2014 as part of a broad range of powers and tools to help tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) locally. PSPOs aim to make sure public spaces can be enjoyed free from anti-social behaviour.

PSPOs are wide-ranging and flexible powers for local authorities, which recognise that we are often best placed to identify the broad and cumulative impact that ASB can have. The Act gives us the authority to draft and implement PSPOs in response to the particular issues affecting their communities, provided certain criteria and legal tests are met.

How are they used?

We can use PSPOs to:

• prohibit specified activities
• require certain things to be done by people engaged in particular activities, within a defined public area

PSPOs differ from other tools introduced under the Act as they are council-led, and rather than targeting specific individuals or properties, they focus on the identified problem behaviour in a specific location.

PSPOs last for a maximum of three years.

Our PSPOs

Promoting responsible dog ownership

We consulted on a PSPO to promote responsible dog ownership. The PSPO was approved by the council’s Cabinet on 30 October 2019.

The PSPO includes the following measures.

• Prevention of fouling on public land. This allows the Fixed Penalty Notice for dog fouling to be increased from £75 to £100
• Dogs to be excluded from enclosed children’s play areas.
• Requiring people to have dog bags or the means to pick up after their dog.
• Require people to put dogs that are causing a nuisance or are out of control on a lead when requested by an authorised officer

Any person, unless they have a registered assistance dog, which breaches the PSPO’s maybe issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100. This can also be dealt with in the Magistrates court, with a maximum fine of £1000.