Agenda item

To consider a report seeking approval for a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in response to increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour in Ramsey Great Whyte.

With the assistance of a report by the Community Safety Partnership Delivery Officer (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Committee considered a proposal for the implementation of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in response to increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour in Ramsey Great Whyte and some surrounding areas.

The Committee were advised of the background to the proposal, together with the types of behaviours which residents and visitors to the area were experiencing. Information on the efforts which had already been undertaken to address the issues arising within the locality was also provided.

Members were informed that a public consultation on the proposal had been carried out between 9th and 23rd September and had generated 328 responses. Three hundred and seventeen of which had been in support of the proposed PSPO and its suggested conditions. There had been three individuals who disagreed or strongly disagreed. A full list of consultees was set out in Appendix C to the report.

Attention was then drawn to the proposed prohibitions which would form part of the Order and were set out in detail in Appendix B to the report, together with the proposed location which was set out in Appendix A. Members were advised that the location had been informed by Police and local authority data on the  whereabouts of  reported issues, together with pre-emptive thoughts on where some of the behaviours may be displaced.

The Committee were informed that enforcement of the proposed PSPO would utilise joint resources from Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the District Council’s Community Protection and Enforcement Team. The Constabulary had already committed to this within the first month of the Order through regular patrolling of the area. The District Council’s Community Action team would respond to reports of anti-social behaviour retrospectively. It was also reported that regular review meetings would be held between the Constabulary and the District Council to review the enforcement of the order, together with the efficacy of its conditions in reducing anti-social behaviour in the area.

Members attention was then drawn to the enforcement options which were available to the District Council to address this anti-social behaviour under the Crime and Policing Act 2014, and which had been considered in determining the preferred option for addressing the issues in the area. Attention was also drawn to the risks associated with the PSPO should it be approved, which were outlined in detail in Section 4 of the report, together with the proposed timetable for its implementation.

The Community Safety Partnership Delivery Officer was then invited to provide a more detailed summary on the results of the consultation exercise, the responses received, and the comments made in response to each question. The Committee were advised that overall, residents and business owners were highly supportive of the proposed Public Space Protection Order.

In discussing the proposals and specifically the consultation responses, Councillor Jordan queried the absence of Mill House and Mill Lane from the proposed PSPO area. In response it was reported that the Police did not have the statistics to support the Order in the Mill Park area, but this could be reconsidered and extended if there was any displacement from the surrounding areas. Comments were also made regarding the walkway which connected the secondary school and the new housing estate which was regularly used by school aged children. It was acknowledged that the consultation had provided good supporting evidence for its inclusion within the area covered by the Order

In response to the comments made by a member regarding the problems which were being experienced outside the library and the B&M store relating to dog control, the Committee were advised that a Public Space Protection Order was already in place for this location to address dog related issues. Residents were encouraged to report any ongoing issues to the Community Action Team.  

In more general terms, members commented on the value of Public Space Protection Orders in tackling issues relating to anti-social behaviour issues and welcomed the commitment by Cambridgeshire Constabulary to actively patrol the area particularly during the first month. The Committee were also advised that the implementation of the Order would be publicised through the use of social media and signage within the area providing details of the conditions and exact locations.

In response to a specific question regarding the public houses within the town centre, the Committee were advised that any open vessels over the boundaries of the Public House would be in breach of the PSPO.

Having agreed to amend the recommendations to reflect the fact that a Public Space Protection Order could not be put in place for more than three years duration, it was

RESOLVED

a)  that the proposed Public Space Protection Order for Ramsey be approved for a three-year period;

b)  that the proposed Public Space Protection Order boundaries (as outlined in Appendix A to the report now submitted) be approved;

c)  that the proposed Public Space Protection Order conditions (as outlined in Appendix B to the report now submitted) be approved;

d)  that authority be delegated to the Community Services Manager to make minor amendments or variations to the conditions and scope of the Order.