Issue - meetings

1. To commence a non-statutory consultation on a proposal to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order, applying to the Hemel Hempstead Town Centre, Old Town and Water Gardens area as shown on the plan at Appendix A to the Cabinet report, to prohibit/regulate the following activities:

(a)   Behave in a way that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any other person

(b)   Use, possess or supply to another person any intoxicating substance.

(c)   Continue to consume alcohol when required to stop doing so by any authorised officer

(d)   Create or reside in a street encampment

(e)   sit on the ground in a public place, street, highway or passage in a manner to be perceived that you are inviting people to give you money.

(f)     Spit (including discharge of chewing gum), urinate or defecate in a public place.

(g)   Cycle or skateboard.

(h)   Feeding birds/wildfowl in the water gardens area

2.  To report the outcomes of the consultation to Strategic  Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet to decide whether to progress with the PSPO and specifically what to include within the PSPO.

1. To commence a non-statutory consultation on a proposal to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order, applying to the Hemel Hempstead Town Centre, Old Town and Water Gardens area as shown on the plan at Appendix A to the Cabinet report, to prohibit/regulate the following activities:

(a)   Behave in a way that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any other person

(b)   Use, possess or supply to another person any intoxicating substance.

(c)   Continue to consume alcohol when required to stop doing so by any authorised officer

(d)   Create or reside in a street encampment

(e)   sit on the ground in a public place, street, highway or passage in a manner to be perceived that you are inviting people to give you money.

(f)     Spit (including discharge of chewing gum), urinate or defecate in a public place.

(g)   Cycle or skateboard.

(h)   Feeding birds/wildfowl in the water gardens area

2. To report the outcomes of the consultation to Strategic Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet to decide whether to progress with the PSPO and specifically what to include within the PSPO.

Reason for Decision

To propose the introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order to provide a means of controlling a number of activities having a detrimental effect on the quality of life for those living in, working in and visiting Hemel Hempstead town centre.

Corporate Objectives

Safe and Clean Environment

Maintain a clean and safe environment

Monitoring Officer/S.151 Officer Comments

Monitoring Officer:  

The PSPO will assist with the prevention of anti-social behaviour in the town centre.  There will need to be a proportionate approach to enforcement particularly where the order is being breached by young and vulnerable persons.

Deputy S.151 Officer

The costs of implementing and enforcing any order will need to be met from within existing approved budgets.

Advice

Councillor Harden said that the report is proposed to introduce a Public Space Protection Order following various complaints regarding anti-social behaviour in the town centre.  The order will give officers another tool to tackle anti-social behaviour but would only be used if other more informal ways of resolving issues fail.  The report has been to overview and scrutiny committee who were supportive of the proposal. 

The recommendation is to go out to public consultation and a further report will be brought back to Cabinet which will report on the outcome of the consultation and decide whether to proceed with the PSPO.

Councillor Elliot asked how easy it would be to police this.

M Brookes explained that this was an issue to further consider. There were no additional resources and they would therefore be using the existing teams. Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) can currently be issued by accredited staff so it may be necessary to increase this.

Councillor Elliot asked how many FPN’s were issued in a year.

Councillor Harden said that this was new legislation and there were various enforcement methods throughout the year. He added that this report had previously been to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75