Wiltshire Council considers Public Spaces Protection Order in Downton and Redlynch in response to anti-social behaviour

Wednesday, 4 May 2022 01:00

Following reports of anti-social behaviour in Downton and Redlynch, Wiltshire Council is proposing implementing a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

The proposed order is related to the use of catapults, slingshots and similar items capable of launching a projectile which could cause harm or damage within certain areas in Downton and Redlynch.

This follows reports of a number of incidents that are having a detrimental impact on the local community, including people’s property and vehicles being damaged and windows being smashed.

PSPOs are one of the tools available under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and provide wide-ranging and flexible powers for local authorities to help prevent anti-social behaviour.

The Act gives councils the authority to draft and implement PSPOs in response to the particular issues affecting their communities, provided certain criteria are met.

A consultation is now live for local people to provide their views and feedback to help establish whether the proposed PSPO is the right and proportionate action to take to help prevent anti-social behaviour in the area.

The consultation runs until 15th June 2022 and all feedback received will be considered before any final decision is made. People can take part in the consultation here.

If a PSPO is brought in following this formal process, then anyone found in breach of it could be issued with an on the spot Fixed Penalty Notice of £100.

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said, “Proposing to bring in a Public Spaces Protection Order is never done lightly, but following feedback from local residents we feel it is a proportionate response to some of the activity being seen in the local area.

“PSPOs aren’t going to solve all problems like this, but they are a useful tool at our disposal and hopefully reassures the public, particularly those directly affected, that we take issues such as this very seriously.

“I’d encourage people in the local area to provide their feedback via the consultation so we can gather the community’s thoughts and feelings on the issue before making an informed decision.”

Inspector Tina Osborn, from the Salisbury Community Policing Team, added, “We are always keen to work with local partners to address any community issues across the Salisbury area, and we’d be very interested to learn more about the views of local residents through this consultation work.

“Tackling anti-social behaviour is a key priority for us, and a PSPO could be one tool for us to use to crack down on these sort of issues.

“Please take a moment to go online and read through the proposals, so you can have your say on how both the local policing team and the local authority can work together to keep our community safe.”

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