Extension to the ‘Shrewsbury Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order (No. 1) 2017'

Proposal

We are seeking your comments on an extension to the ‘Shrewsbury Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order (No. 1) 2017' (‘the Shrewsbury PSPO') which would enable the Shrewsbury PSPO to continue for a further three years.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) as a means of preventing individuals or groups committing anti-social behaviour in public spaces.  The Shrewsbury PSPO was approved by Shropshire Council at a Cabinet meeting on 21 June 2017 with an effective commencement date of 1 August 2017.  A copy of the Shrewsbury PSPO is included (Appendix 1).  In determining whether to introduce the Shrewsbury PSPO, and following a public consultation, the Council was satisfied that behaviours were having, or were likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality; be persistent or continuing in nature; and be unreasonable.

The area covered by the Shrewsbury PSPO, known as the ‘restricted area', is identified within the Shrewsbury PSPO by a map which covers the town centre area within the river loop and a part of Mountfields which includes Frankwell car park and the adjacent playing fields.  The Shrewsbury PSPO has four main provisions and is intended to provide officers with options to enable them to address certain anti-social behaviour within the restricted area, specifically:

1. prohibiting urinating/defecating;
2. prohibiting the leaving of personal belongings;
3. a wider enabling provision requiring a person to stop consuming alcohol or hand over alcohol if causing anti-social behaviour ; and
4. a wider enabling provision requiring a person to leave the restricted area and not to return for 48 hours if causing anti-social behaviour.

The Shrewsbury PSPO (as with all PSPOs) may not have effect for a period of more than 3 years, unless it is extended.  This consultation is seeking the views of the public and any other interested party on whether or not to extend the Shrewsbury PSPO for a further three years.

The PSPO has been utilised by West Mercia Police with the support of Shropshire Council to address anti-social behaviour within the restricted area.  Details of the interventions, up to 29 February 2020, are provided (Appendix 2).

Data collected from the multi-agency operational group ‘Team Shrewsbury', Shropshire Council Community Protection team, and West Mercia Police highlights the issues, within the restricted area, that are being reported and recorded (Appendix 3).