Public Spaces Protection Order targets anti-social behaviour in Hemel town centre

Dacorum Borough Council officers are working with police from the Hemel Safer Neighbourhood Team to tackle anti-social behaviour in Hemel town centre and enforce the town centre Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

The Hemel Hempstead town centre PSPO prohibits anti-social behaviours including cycling and skateboarding in the designated areas, spitting (including discharge of chewing gum) and urinating or defecting in a public place. Breaching the PSPO can result in a £75 fixed penalty notice.

Since the implementation of the PSPO in July last year, Dacorum Borough Council officers and police have carried out regular patrols in the Marlowes. This has resulted in the issuing of five warning letters, four fixed penalty notices, one community protection warning and one community protection notice.

The primary focus of the patrols has been tackling cycling in pedestrianised areas, which poses a real danger to others. People wishing to cycle into town can still do so via Waterhouse Street to avoid cycling through the Marlowes.

The Council has also provided information to local schools and installed additional signage in the town centre to raise awareness of the PSPO.

Cllr Julie Banks, Portfolio Holder for Community and Regulatory Services, said: ‘Our town centre PSPO is vitally important to ensure residents can enjoy their community. We don’t want to stop people enjoying themselves but we do want to tackle the behaviour of the minority whose behaviour has a detrimental impact on the lives of others.’

PSPOs were introduced in October 2014 by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. They allow councils to address a particular nuisance or problem behaviour in a particular area (a public space) that is damaging to the local community’s quality of life.

More information about the Hemel town centre PSPO and the areas it covers is available on Dacorum Borough Council’s website: www.dacorum.gov.uk/pspo.