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.

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* 1. Are you being affected by anti-social behaviour (ASB)?

(ASB is defined as “Behaviour by a person which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as the person”)

Anti-social Behaviour Act  2003 and the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 covers a wide range of unacceptable activity that causes harm to an individual, to their community or to their environment. This could be an action by someone else that leaves you feeling alarmed, harassed or distressed. It also includes fear of crime or concern for public safety, public disorder or public nuisance.

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* 2. Do you agree a PSPO is an appropriate method to tackle ASB in the area?

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* 3. Do you have an opinion on the proposed restricted areas?

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* 4. What do you consider to be a group:

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* 5. The Council are proposing to implement the PSPO for a minimum of 12 months. Do you agree or should the proposed PSPO be in place for:

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* 6. If an individual has been asked to leave the Restricted Area, how long would this be for?

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* 7. If you agree that individuals should be asked to leave the Restricted Area and not return for a specific time, do you see any problems the authorities will have in enforcing this?

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* 8. Please use the box below to give any further comments or feedback relating to the proposal to introduce a PSPO for Addlestone Town Centre.

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* 9. If you feel that the introduction of the proposed PSPO will affect you as an individual because of any of the following age, disability, ethnic origin, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, religious belief or non-belief, nationality or responsibility for any dependents please give details below.

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* 10. I am completing this survey as:

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* 11. Please tell us your postcode so we are able to map responses.

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