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07
Jul
No plans for a protection order for Harrogate's Pinewoods, says councillor
Anti-social behaviour in Harrogate's Pinewoods will not be tackled through a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) – at least for now – according to a councillor responsible for community safety.
The Stray Ferret highlighted the issue at the weekend, when we reported that a member of the Pinewoods Conservation Group, Lyndon Wallace, was urging people not to light fires in the area because of the risk that flames might spread out of control. The hazard has been made more acute by the recent dry weather.
He said that he had discussed the issue of anti-social behaviour in the woods with North Yorkshire Council, North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, and hoped that a PSPO would be introduced in the coming months.
A PSPO in the Pinewoods would ban open fires and might also tackle other issues, such as rough sleeping and wild camping. Fixed penalty notices could then be issued to people caught breaching its restrictions.
Many campfire sites are strewn with litter.
But North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr Heather Phillips, whose responsibilities include community safety, told the Stray Ferret the issue was being tackled, but not yet through a PSPO.
The Conservative councillor, who represents the Seamer division, near Scarborough, said:
We are aware of issues of anti-social behaviour at Pinewoods involving the setting of fires and are working with our partners to address this.
Officers have visited the location along with a representative from the Pinewoods Conservation Group to hear their concerns and assess the impact of any damage.
As a result, members of our community safety, parks and grounds and rough sleeping teams will be meeting with the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Police in the near future to agree on an action plan.
At this stage it is felt the problem can be resolved without the need to apply for a Public Spaces Protection Order.
The Pinewoods Conservation Group has collected huge quantities of rubbish from the woods.
But Mr Wallace said that approach did not go far enough. Speaking from the Pinewoods, he told the Stray Ferret:
I won't accept that. I've been pushing for this for three years. I see what goes on here day in, day out, and I think we meet the criteria for a PSPO.
The council is supposed to tackle this kind of thing, and they're not. Without a PSPO there's no legal measure to specifically target what's going on.
Once we have a PSPO, we can put up signs to say what's prohibited and then the council's enforcement team and the police can issue warnings or tickets. I'm still fighting for one.
Cllr Mike Schofield, whose Harlow and St George's division includes half of the Pinewoods, said:
[The] Pinewoods is an area that is enjoyed by a great many people, and it is right that these issues are addressed quickly and effectively.
I am hopeful the measures that are being undertaken will resolve the problem satisfactorily.
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