PSPO 2024 formal consultation

Share your views

Take part in the consultation by completing the online survey and giving your feedback on the PSPO proposals:

Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) 2024 formal consultation

Have your say on the proposed PSPO for Ashfield.

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are intended to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a particular area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life. A PSPO works by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. They are designed to ensure that the law-abiding majority can use and enjoy public spaces without experiencing antisocial behaviour. A PSPO remains in place for a period of 3 years unless discharged by the Local Authority.

The Public Spaces Protection Order is currently in place for the period to 30 September 2024 and enables the Council to take preventive or enforcement action in public places regarding:

• Alcohol consumption in a designated area
• Urinating/defecating within a designated area
• Dog fouling in specified areas
• Failing to produce device or other means or removing dog faeces on demand
• Dog exclusion in specified areas
• Dogs on lead in specified areas
• Dogs on lead by direction
• Dogs specified maximum amount
• Direction to move on for a person behaving in an anti-social manner
• Restricting access to a specified highway
• Car cruising at junction 21 of the M1 Motorway.

The Public Spaces Protection Order Ashfield District Council 2024

It is proposed that the Public Spaces Protection Order 2024 (the “2024 PSPO”) comes into force on 1 October 2024 and shall have effect for a period of 3 years, unless extended by further orders under Ashfield District Council’s statutory powers.

This Order incorporates:

• Alcohol consumption in a designated area

If a person who is drinking alcohol is behaving or likely to behave in a manner to cause nuisance and annoyance an officer can request the person not to consume and/or surrender their alcohol, the officer can pour it away. Failing to do so allows an officer to take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

There are eight designated areas in Ashfield where this applies and are highlighted within the 2024 PSPO Schedule 1.

• Urinating/defecating within a designated area

If a person urinates or defecates within the specified area an officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

There are eight designated areas in Ashfield where this applies and are highlighted within the 2024 PSPO Schedule 1.

• Dog fouling in specified areas

If a person allows a dog they are responsible for at that time to foul and walks away without picking up an officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

This relates to the entire district with the exception of forestry commission land as highlighted within Schedule 2 and accompanying map as drafted.

• Failing to produce device or other means or removing dog faeces on demand

If a person does not produce a device or other means for removing dog faeces upon request an officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

This relates to the entire district with the exception of forestry commission land as highlighted within Schedule 2 and accompanying map as drafted.

• Dogs on lead by direction

If a person does not comply with placing their dog on a lead at the request of an authorised officer, the officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

This relates to the entire district with the exception of forestry commission land as highlighted within Schedule 2 and accompanying map as drafted.

• Dogs specified maximum amount

No more than 6 dogs can be taken out at any one time by one person or an officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

This relates to the entire district with the exception of Forestry Commission land as highlighted within Schedule 2 and accompanying map as drafted.

• Dog exclusion in specified areas

Dogs are excluded from specific locations within Ashfield including enclosed children’s play areas and enclosed sports facilities on parks i.e. tennis courts, bowling greens. An officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court if the person responsible for the dog allows it to enter the exclusion areas as highlighted within Schedule 3 of the Order and accompanying map as drafted.

• Dogs on leads in specified areas

If a person does not comply with placing their dog on a lead on: each and every length of road (including pavements, footways and verges, and the pedestrianised areas and cemeteries and churchyards (detailed as per Schedule 4 and accompanying map) an officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

• Direction to move on

If a person is engaging in behaviour that is Anti-social or creating a nuisance or annoyance and fails to move on when asked to do so, an officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

There are eight designated areas in Ashfield where this applies and are highlighted within the 2024 PSPO Schedule 1.

• Restricting access

If a person uses a specified public right of way an officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

There is one restricted access highway in the 2024 PSPO namely land between Bentinck Street and Welbeck Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield.  (it should be noted that there is a separate 2023 PSPO which restricts access on eight other areas of land in the District)

• Vehicle nuisance (Car cruising)

The Order relates to the entire District and prohibits car cruising events where motor vehicles congregate and any of the following activities occur:

• Motor vehicles are driven at excessive speed or accelerated aggressively
• Motor vehicles are raced against one another
• Stunts are performed in motor vehicles
• Music is played on equipment installed in a motor vehicle which is audible outside the vehicle; or
• Motor vehicles are driven in convoy, whether side by side or in single file
• Sounding horns (so as to cause public nuisance)
• Congregating to spectate the above activities.
• So as to cause any of the following:
• Excessive noise
• Danger to other road users
• A risk of injury to any person
• A risk of damage to property
• Causing obstruction on a public highway, or publicly accessible place, or private land, whether moving or stationary.

This Prohibition includes participating in a car cruise event either as a driver, or passenger of a vehicle within the area designated in the Public Spaces Protection Order.  An officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court.

• Street harassment

If a person is verbally abusive to another person or behaves in a way that causes or is likely to cause harassment alarm or distress to another person an officer can take action by means of issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice or provide evidence for legal action through the Court . The behaviours will include making sexually inappropriate comments or displaying inappropriate behaviours towards women and girls.

This relates to the entire district with the exception of forestry commission land as highlighted within the Schedule 2 and accompanying map as drafted.

Summary of variations

• The current Public Spaces Protection Order 2021 which is due to end on 30 September 2024 will be extended for a further period of 3 years – the new 2024 PSPO will end on 30 September 2027.
• A new prohibition, namely “Street Harassment” will be introduced
• The restricted area for Vehicle Nuisance (previously called “Car Cruising”) will be increased to the entire District of Ashfield
• The restricted areas for Dog Exclusion will be increased by adding:

• the children’s play areas at Meden Bank, Sutton-in-Ashfield;
• the children’s play areas at David Street, Larwood Park and Hornbeam Park, Kirkby-in-Ashfield;
• the synthetic pitch area at Titchfield Park, the BMX pump track and multi-use games area at Nabbs Lane Recreation Ground, the children’s play areas at Rolls Royce and Lime Tree Road, Hucknall;  and
• the children’s play area and green space areas at Selston Country Park, Selston.

Share your views

Take part in the consultation by completing the online survey and giving your feedback on the PSPO proposals:

Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) 2024 formal consultation

Contact us

If you would like to make additional comments regarding the Public Space Protection orders this can be done in writing to:

• Address:

Community Safety (PSPO)

Ashfield District Council,

Council Offices

Urban Road

Kirkby in Ashfield,

Nottinghamshire, East Midlands

NG17 8DA

• email: PSPO@ashfield.gov.uk

Please note representations received after 12 midnight on 27 May 2024 cannot be accepted.