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03
Apr
Is a Public Space Protection Order to tackle anti-social behaviour in Harrogate still on the cards?
Two years ago business groups in Harrogate called for a public space protection order to be enforced in the town.
The move was seen as a way to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, which traders said blighted areas such as Oxford Street.
Public space protection orders prohibit certain behaviours in a defined area, like street drinking and give the police more powers to tackle them.
The Stray Ferret investigated the situation extensively in our Trading Hell series, where we found shop workers routinely facing threats, rampant shoplifting and anti-social behaviour faced by businesses A survey we carried out as part of the investigation found that 92% of town-centre traders support the introduction of a PSPO.
However, despite the demand for a public space protection order, the appeals appeared to have fallen flat over the last two years.
That was until this past week, when Harrogate Town Council raised the issue again and objected to a plan to install new BT street hubs on Oxford Street — which have raised fears over drug dealing.
Town councillors have previously raised concern that there have been incidents in other cities, such as London, where the free call system on the hubs had been used to facilitate drug deals.
In its letter to the council, the town council said:
There is ongoing work with North Yorkshire Police to improve conditions in this area [Oxford Street], and efforts are underway to introduce a public space protection order. The proposal risks undermining these initiatives.
The letter suggests that there are still moves afoot to implement an order in Harrogate town centre.
But, is there still an appetite for one?
Martin Mann, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.
Martin Mann, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, told the Stray Ferret there are areas in the town centre which would benefit from a public space protection order being introduced.
He said:
The Chamber would support measures that protect that reputation and give our businesses, visitors, and residents the safe, enjoyable environment they deserve.
We acknowledge that anti-social behaviour in specific areas - particularly around Oxford Street and One Arch - has become a growing concern for our members, and we believe a targeted Public Spaces Protection Order in those areas is a proportionate and necessary tool to address it.
A PSPO would give North Yorkshire Police and the council the powers they currently lack to intervene effectively.
However, Mr Mann said a PSPO alone would not be enough to solve the issues in the town centre.
He said:
Enforcement alone is not enough. The Chamber is equally committed to ensuring that the support services - including the Harrogate Homeless Project, Harrogate Street Aid, and the wider Community Safety Hub - are adequately resourced to help the vulnerable individuals whose needs often underlie these issues. A PSPO must work alongside compassionate support, not instead of it.
We look forward to working with North Yorkshire Council, the police, and our partners to get this balance right.
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council whether there were plans for a PSPO in Harrogate and, if so, what would it entail.
The council said “all options” were being explored, but currently there was not a plan for an order to be introduced.
Harrogate’s history with PSPOs
Harrogate is no stranger to implementing public space protection orders.
In August 2016, the former borough council introduced a PSPO and extended it a year later for another three years. It was tailored to clamp down on street drinking inside the railway and bus stations, Victoria Shopping Centre, and the Victoria and Jubilee multi-storey car-parks.
Enforcement officers had the power to ask people to stop drinking in a public place and ‘surrender’ their alcohol. Refusal to hand it over could result in a fixed penalty notice of up to £100.
Harrogate's Victoria Car Park
But that order expired in 2020 and the pandemic lockdown meant there was no need to renew it, so there hasn’t been one in place for the past six years.
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