CITY MAYOR Peter Soulsby is inviting people in Leicester to help him shape a new approach to keeping the city’s public spaces free from anti-social behaviour.
Like other cities, Leicester has seen a rise in public concern about the nuisance caused by some individuals in the city centre – whether it’s problems associated with street drinking or begging, the unauthorised use of amplification equipment, or the irresponsible use of bikes, e-bikes and scooters.
The City Mayor has made it clear that he shares these concerns and plans to use all the tools at his disposal to tackle the issues.
As part of his response, the City Mayor is today (Monday) launching a new online consultation to establish if there’s support for the introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which would empower the police and authorised council officers to take swift enforcement action against those causing a nuisance in the area covered by the PSPO – helping to address the anti-social behaviour that prevents people from enjoying Leicester’s streets and spaces.
“Whether it’s amplification equipment being used without permission, or cyclists riding too fast on pedestrianised streets, these nuisances have a significant impact on people’s enjoyment of the city centre,” he said.
“We know that other cities are experiencing similar problems, but it’s unacceptable that the behaviour of a few individuals should spoil the city centre for the rest of us.
“That’s why I’m now proposing to cover the city centre with a Public Spaces Protection Order and invest more resources into addressing these persistent nuisances. And if these measures lead to improvements in the city centre, we’ll look at introducing further PSPOs that would cover other parts of the city too.”
While considerate cyclists are always welcome in the city centre, those using e-bikes, bikes or scooters in a way that causes harassment, alarm or distress to pedestrians could be fined by authorised officers under the PSPO.
Anyone breaching the PSPO – which is a criminal offence – could face a fixed penalty notice of £100, rising to £1,000 if prosecution leads to a conviction.
The City Mayor is now encouraging people to take part in the consultation to have their say on the proposals.
“Through this consultation, we’re asking residents and businesses to tell us about the things they want us to address, with the new powers that a Public Spaces Protection Order would give us,” he said.
“By tackling some of the persistent issues that have such a negative impact on our streets and spaces, we want to ensure that the city centre is a safe, attractive and welcoming place that everyone can enjoy.”
People can find the consultation, and further information about the proposals, at consultations.leicester.gov.uk
The online consultation is now open and runs for four weeks, closing at 23:59 on Monday 17 February.
The proposed PSPO would cover all the area within the inner ring road, together with the area around Leicester station, the entirety of New Walk, and the area between London Road and Regent Road as far as Granville Road.
Public Spaces Protection Orders were introduced by the government as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014 and can be used by councils to target a range of issues in a defined public area.
Once adopted, each PSPO is valid for three years. If adopted, Leicester’s PSPO would take effect from 1 April 2025.