Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are legal orders, first introduced under the Anti-social Behaviour and Policing Act 2014, to protect public spaces from anti-social behaviour (ASB).

We adopted our first PSPO in 2016 to address street drinking and anti-social behaviour in Woolwich town centre. Borough-wide PSPOs are currently in operation for dog control and alcohol control where linked to ASB.

 Some of the conditions of the new proposals include:

• prohibiting alcohol-related ASB in public spaces
• prohibiting ASB, either individually or with others, in any public car park
• prohibiting of consumption, inhalation, injection or smoking, any high-inducing substance
• prohibiting the discharging or throwing of fireworks in a public place (with the exemption of Council authorised events)

The proposed PSPOs will help the Council and the police in tackling ASB and will allow individuals who breach orders to be dispersed from an area for 48 hours; officers will be able to request the surrender of items and issue fines of up to £1,000 for anyone who refuses to comply with the conditions under the proposals. 

Cllr Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said: "The Council has a key role to play in making Royal Greenwich a safe place to live, visit and work, and tackling anti-social behaviour continues to be a high priority. 

"We would really value your feedback on the proposed public space protection orders and encourage you to have your say by 4 September 2020."

For further information about the proposals and to provide feedback, visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/pspo.