From Monday 11 July 2016, a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) has been in force in Woolwich Town Centre which prohibits any person from having in their possession, care or control an open container of alcohol in any public place within the restricted area, other than on licensed premises. This order was granted following a public consultation in which 87% of respondents supported the ban - you can download and view the consultation results.
The PSPO was introduced as part of our work to tackle anti-social behaviour, street drinking and substance abuse in the borough. Since its introduction, we have also been working with local businesses to reduce the availability of high strength drinks and established the Street Pop Project to ensure people are receiving specialist substance abuse support.
The PSPO requires:
- people to surrender any open container of alcohol upon request by an Authorised Officer
- people to comply with a request to test open liquids to identify alcohol upon request by an Authorised Officer
Failure without reasonable excuse to comply with the prohibitions or requirements imposed by this order is a summary offence under section 67 of the 2014 Act. A person guilty of an offence under section 67 is liable on summary conviction to a fine.
A constable or an authorised person may under section 68 of the 2014 Act issue a fixed penalty notice to anyone he or she has reason to believe has committed an offence under section 67 in relation to this order. Any individuals who persistently fail to comply with this order may be subject to further enforcement action.
This order applies to all land or space (including privately owned) within the designated area to which the public or any section of the public has access, on pavement or otherwise (including for example, the Royal Arsenal Development and covered car parks).
The original ban was valid for three years and was welcomed by residents and local businesses who were consulted. Following further feedback, the decision has been made to renew it for another three years untill 2022.