Decision details

With the approval of the Chairman of Adults and Communities Scrutiny Committee, special urgency procedures have been invoked to suspend the requirement to publish the decision for five days. These procedures have been invoked for the reasons set out below.

The decision is urgent due to time constraints. The current PSPO expires on 18 May 2020. The Council commenced preparations to extend the PSPO from early this year, with a view to have the extension implemented by 5 April 2020.

Unfortunately, due to the Covid 19 public health crisis, the process was significantly delayed. The CMDN is now ready for approval, however the waiver is required in order to meet the 18 May deadline.

This means the extension cannot take place as a PSPO cannot be extended after it has expired. This would mean the Council would have to re-commence the entire process in order to put in place a new PSPO, rather than an extension. This would mean there would be limited protection from Anti-Social behaviour in the city centre for months, leaving members of the public more vulnerable to anti-social behaviour and destroying all the work that has been put in place over the last 3 years to make the city centre a safer and cleaner place for the public.

It would be disproportionate to commence the PSPO consultation process all over again when this issue is due to a time lapse of only three days caused by factors out of the Local Authorities control. The public, key interested parties and statutory consultees were consulted throughout February 2020 and indicated their support for an order to improve the safety and cleanliness of the city centre. Any further consultation in such a short period of time is most likely to result in the same response and thus making any further delay in implementing an order in the city centre seem unnecessary and disproportionate.

The Cabinet Member authorised the re-implementation of a City Centre Public Space Protection Order under Sections 60 and 61 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014.

Given the continued high number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued to enforce the current restrictions of the order, the current level of crime and ASB reported to the Police in this area and the support from statutory consultees, the public and interested parties; it is considered justified and proportionate to recommend the variation and re-implementation of the City Centre Public Space Protection Order for a further three years.

Continuation of the City Centre Public Space Protection Order will directly enable the Local Authority and the Safer Peterborough Partnership achieve the objectives to ‘Keep our communities safe, cohesive and healthy’ and ‘Tackling anti-social behaviour.’

If re-implemented, the Public Space Protection Order will continue to provide more powers to authorised Council officers and the Police to tackle anti-social behaviour in the City Centre area, thus improving the quality of life for people who live, work and visit the City Centre.

Do nothing and let the existing City Centre Public Space Protection Order expire – this would have a detrimental impact on the quality of life for those who visit, live or work in the City Centre; would negatively impact on the city centre economy and reduce the public's confidence in the council. 

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