PEOPLE in Leicester are being asked for their views on proposals to introduce a legal order that could help reduce antisocial behaviour in a number of neighbourhoods around the city centre.
Since April 2025, a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has given the city council and the police powers to take swift enforcement action against anyone causing a nuisance in the city centre.
Those in breach of the order can face fines of up to £100, rising to £1,000, if prosecution leads to conviction.
While fines are only issued when engagement, support and education have failed, the threat of a fine combined with a team of highly visible enforcement officers has led to significant improvements in the city centre over the last 12 months.
Now the City Mayor would like to use the same legislation to tackle antisocial behaviour in neighbourhoods where a minority of individuals are spoiling the area for the people who live there.
Using data that highlights the frequency and intensity of reported incidents of antisocial behaviour, the city council has identified an area that wraps around the city centre towards the west, the north and the east, where nuisance behaviour is much more prevalent than in other parts of the city.
Taking in neighbourhoods such as Westcotes, Frog Island, Belgrave, Spinney Hills and Highfields, the proposed Zone 2 covers around 14% of the city’s total area – yet experiences more than 30% of the reported incidents of antisocial behaviour.
“Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen significant improvements in the city centre, with the PSPO empowering us to tackle a whole range of nuisance behaviours – from amplified music to the inconsiderate use of e-bikes and scooters,” said City Mayor Peter Soulsby.
“Now I’d like to use those same powers to target our resources at the neighbourhoods around the city centre where the highest number of incidents of antisocial behaviour are reported.
“Whether it’s drug-related activity, alcohol-fuelled disorder or the inconsiderate use of fireworks, these behaviours can adversely affect people’s enjoyment of their local streets and spaces – and I’m determined to use all the tools at my disposal to deal with those who spoil Leicester’s neighbourhoods for everyone else.”
The proposed PSPO for Zone 2 would prohibit a range of evident, persistent behaviours that lead to frequent complaints – and have a negative impact on local communities.
These include antisocial behaviour related to the use of alcohol, drugs and psychoactive substances; spitting substances, such as chewing gum and paan; loitering, that causes harassment, alarm or distress; and the use of fireworks in public spaces.
The City Mayor is now encouraging people to have their say on the proposals for PSPO Zone 2 by taking part in an online consultation.
“Through this consultation, we’re asking residents and businesses to share their views on the issues we need to address, with the 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 local neighbourhoods are safe, attractive and welcoming places for the people and families who live there.”
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 six weeks, closing at 23:59 on Friday 12 June.
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. Depending on feedback from the consultation exercise, Leicester’s second PSPO could be in place as early as September.