Barking and Dagenham Council is holding a Q&A session to discuss the future of two Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) and is encouraging residents to come along and have their say.

 

PSPOs help to deal with antisocial behaviour in a specified area and the two that are due to expire are in Barking Town Centre and Broad Street, Dagenham.

 

The Q&A session will be part of the wider consultation that has also included a recent survey, which revealed that 83% of residents are in support of the PSPO in Barking Town Centre and 91% for the one in Broad Street.

 

Due to Covid restrictions, the Q&A session will be held virtually on Monday 1 March at 5pm on Microsoft Teams and will be chaired by Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, Councillor Margaret Mullane and supported by the council’s Community Safety Team and the police. 

 

The two PSPOs, the east London council has up for renewal prohibit activities, such as:

 

1.    Consumption of alcohol in a public place

2.    Public urination

3.    Spitting

4.    Begging

5.    Groups engaging in behaviour which causes residents and other users of the area nuisance, annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress.

 

Since these two PSPOs were introduced in 2018, there have been 5,478 breaches, including 450 alcohol seizures in Barking Town Centre and 115 PSPO breaches and 64 alcohol seizures in Broad Street.

 

Councillor Margaret Mullane, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Whether it is spitting, consuming alcohol or harassing others, PSPOs play an important role in tackling antisocial behaviour and we believe it’s integral that we keep them in place.

 

“However, before we renew them, we want to make sure that residents think we are doing the right thing, so that’s why we’re holding this Q&A session as we want to hear your thoughts. I hope to see as many residents there as possible.”

 

Residents can review the proposal for the PSPOs on the council website and if they would like to attend the Q&A session, they should email the Community Safety Partnership Team at csp@lbbd.gov.uk, who will send them an invite and joining instructions.