Agenda item

This report is intended to provide information on proposed amendments to the Arun Public Spaces Protection Order and, specifically, to outline the public consultation process that has been undertaken to encourage maximum feedback from the local community (residents, business’ and visitors) by using the online survey available at www.arun.gov.uk

The Chairman outlined that in view of the concerns raised at Full Council on 13 November 2019 relating to the role of the Bognor Regis Regeneration Sub-Committee in considering this item, she was putting forward her suggestions as to how this matter be handled by the Sub-Committee.

            As confirmed at Full Council, Cabinet has been listed in the Forward Plan as the decision taker on a new Order and the date for the decision to be taken would be the meeting of Cabinet on 13 January 2020.  As a result of the debate at Full Council, the Community Manager was now reviewing the legislation and what happened when the last Order was made to confirm whether this should remain a Cabinet decision or should form a recommendation going forward to a future meeting of Full Council.

            Discussions were ongoing with the Cabinet Member for Community and Wellbeing, Councillor Mrs Yeates, in terms of whether there should be any change to the current timelines for a decision as the Cabinet Member for Technical Services, Councillor Stanley, who was also the Chairman of the Bognor Regis Regeneration Sub-Committee, had agreed to look at this when this had been debated at Full Council.

            The Chairman suggested that as a Sub-Committee, Members views be listed and compiled to make a formal response to the consultation exercise but that this would not form a recommendation to Full Council.   Instead, any special observations would be reflected in the Minutes forming the Sub-Committee’s response for feeding into the consultation exercise.

            Having received the Sub-Committee’s approval to this way forward, the Chairman then invited the Community Manager to present her report.

            The Community Manager firstly reminded Members that the current Order did not expire until the end of March 2020.  It had been introduced by the Council in April 2017 and this was why there had been the need for it to be reviewed.  Legislation required the Council to undertake a period of public consultation to determine whether the Order should be extended, amended or discharged. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 granted local authorities the opportunity to introduce PSPOs as a way of tackling persistent or on-going nuisance identified in specific locations where it was having a detrimental effect on the quality of life.  Public consultation had commenced on 24 September and ended on 24 October 2019.  This Sub-Committee was being invited to submit its views which could be added to the feedback received from local businesses and residents in respect of two sections.  Section 1 which was tackling and reducing anti-social behaviour (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) and Section 2 tackling and reducing anti-social behaviour for parks, opens spaces and foreshores.

Members were advised that the new proposed PSPO areas had been significantly reduced compared to the current Order. This change was a result of the difficulty in enforcing the dispersal powers.  The new areas specifically related to the Town Centres of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton where there was evidence of constant anti-social and nuisance behaviour.  Members were asked to remember that the resources required to enforce all PSPO prohibitions needed to be considered when deciding on the restrictions to be included.

A lengthy debate took plate in which various views and concerns were raised.  These have been summarised below with the Community Manager ensuring that they would form part of the response to the PSPO consultation when considered by Cabinet early next year.

·         It was clear that wide reaching consultation had been undertaken identifying that businesses and residents in both Littlehampton and Bognor Regis were of the view that both of these Town Centres had the same concerns in terms of anti-social and nuisance behaviour. In view of these problems, which were not experienced in the wider District, this was why it was proposed that the new areas covered by the PSPO would specifically relate to these Town Centres.  This change was also as a result of the difficulty in enforcing the dispersal powers.  By reducing the designated area, it was hoped that people could be moved from the Town Centre if they were caught causing anti-social behaviour.

·         It was recognised that there was a drinking and public disorder problem in Littlehampton’s Town Centre.  This problem needed to be addressed and so there was support for the smaller restricted areas to make the Order effective.

·         Concern was expressed by a couple of Members that reducing the proposed PSPO areas would result in anti-social and nuisance behaviour being migrated out to surrounding villages.  Rustington was cited as a prime example.

·         This was disputed by some Members as it had to be acknowledged that nuisance was caused by people who were on foot, they did not use transport, they were local trouble makers and so needed to be dealt with locally.

·      Had Town and Parish Councils been consulted?    The Community Manager confirmed that all Members of the Council and all Town and Parish Councils had been invited to take part in the consultation exercise.  To date only Bognor Regis and Littlehampton Town Council had responded. No individual Members of the Council had submitted a response. 

·      Reducing the PSPO areas would allow for more targeted enforcement to take place.

·      If the PSPO was approved with reduced areas, could it be reviewed in the future if there was evidence to prove that the significantly reduced areas within the Order were not working.  The Community Manager responded stating that there was always the opportunity to review the PSPO and that if there was evidence to back up change, then this could be reviewed.

·      The two Town Centres had many areas where anti-social behaviour had an impact for residents and so this was why the restrictions to focus on these areas had to be very carefully considered.

·      With Appendix B, what area of Rustington did the restrictions run into?  It was explained that this illustrated the proposed alcohol restriction to be applied in Littlehampton in relation to foreshore areas.

·      It was felt that this restriction should apply to cycling and the Community Manager undertook to take this on board.

·      The Sub-Committee agreed that a Cycling Strategy needed to be compiled and agreed by the Council sometime in the future.