Public Space Protection Orders come into force

New powers to deal with specific anti-social behaviour in parks and open spaces are being introduced in Brighton & Hove.

Public Space Protections Orders (PSPOs) for 12 parks and open spaces, including the seafront, were approved in July following a public consultation earlier in the year. The orders came into effect from 1 January 2017 and will start to be enforced from April. The PSPOs remain in force for a maximum of three years.

The PSPOs cover anti-social activities in the areas including people living in vehicles and tents, driving on the grass, defecating, lighting fires and fly-tipping.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the city’s environment committee, said: “We have wonderful parks and open spaces and the PSPOs will help us ensure everyone’s enjoyment of them is not spoilt by a minority. We understand the frustration and upset caused by nuisance, anti-social behaviour environmental damage in our open spaces, and believe Public Space Protection Orders are a useful addition to the work we already do to keep parks clean and safe.”

Where they apply, the PSPOs impose prohibitions on:

  • Occupying any vehicle, caravan, tent or other structure
  • Driving any vehicle on grass
  • Littering or fly tipping
  • Lighting or maintaining a fire
  • Defecating or urinating

On request by an authorised officer, police officer or PCSO, anyone challenged needs to:

  • remove any vehicle, caravan, tent or other structure within 12 hours
  • disposing of items as directed
  • permit a council, police or fire officer to extinguish a fire
  • provide a name, address and date of birth when required to do so by a council or police officer

Breaching a Public Space Protection Order is a criminal offence.

For more information, please visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/pspo.