Visitors and those who live or work in Banbury are invited to have their say on measures to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Published: Thursday, 25th July 2024
Cherwell District Council is proposing a new public spaces protection order (PSPO), which would give the council and Thames Valley Police additional powers to discourage antisocial behaviour and to issue fines.
The consultation runs from Friday, 26 July until Friday, 23 August.
Councillor Rob Parkinson, Portfolio Holder for Regulatory, said: “We want people to enjoy everything Banbury has to offer without experiencing antisocial behaviour.
“Incidents of aggressive begging, street drinking and verbal abuse are relatively rare, but they can have a serious impact on their victims when they do happen. A PSPO signals to people that we want the best for Banbury and allows our community wardens and colleagues in the police service to take enforcement action if necessary.
“We want residents, businesses, and people in the area who use Banbury town centre to have their say and contribute to making Banbury’s public spaces as safe and welcoming as possible.”
The PSPO would cover Banbury town centre and People’s Park. It identifies restricted behaviours which can be penalised in those areas. They include aggressive begging, aggressive or intimidating street drinking, and abusive, violent or aggressive behaviour.
These behaviours do not always meet the thresholds for other formal enforcement action, but a PSPO allows authorised persons to issue fixed penalty notices for them.
The council’s operation of the PSPO would be based on warning and informing in the first instance, encouraging those engaged in the restricted behaviours to access support services. The council and police would use the formal powers the PSPO gives them in cases of repeated breaches.
The current version of the PSPO was informed by a previous consultation conducted in 2023. The new order, if approved, will be in place for three years with an option to renew.
People can have their say by visiting the council’s Citizen Space page before 23 August.