Addlestone Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order Consultation
Introduction
Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) can be used to regulate activities in particular public places that can have a detrimental effect on the local community. They can help by giving local councils and local police additional powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in specific locations.
We are consulting on the introduction of a PSPO to prohibit the following activities which are causing distress and nuisance to local residents and the general public:
A. Gathering in a group of X or more within the restricted area and acting in such a manner as to cause annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress to any person within that area including Addlestone One Car Park unless going to or from a parked vehicle while legitimately using the car park facilities.
B. Riding bikes, skateboards, hover-boards or similar devices within the Restricted Area in a malicious and/or dangerous manner such as to cause annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress to any person within that area.
C. Wearing face coverings in an attempt to conceal identity to cause annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress to any person; this includes scarves, balaclavas, and masks (This would not include face covering worn in respect of religious or cultural beliefs).
The PSPO will give officers from Runnymede Borough Council, Surrey Police and designated agencies the right to issue fixed penalty notices of maximum £100 or take offenders to court to face a heftier sentence.
A conviction for breaching the PSPO could carry a fine of up to £1,000.
We ask for your views on whether you agree with the proposal, if you want any alterations to the proposed PSPO and what impact the order may have on you, the local area or local people.