Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic services. 

Cabinet considered the head of housing and environment’s report that sought approval of a public spaces protection order for Thame. 

As a legal requirement, the new order would replace the existing Designated Public Places Order.  The new order would allow the police to tackle a wider range of offences, not just alcohol-related offences but also to stop groups of people causing alarm, distress, harassment or a nuisance in a public place, and improve the quality of life for local residents.  In drafting the order, the council’s community safety team had worked in partnership with the police, Thame Town Council, and other stakeholders such as the council’s environmental protection team.  The consultation exercise had resulted in strong support for the public spaces protection order in Thame. 

The options open to Cabinet were to:

1.    approve the Public Spaces Protection Order for Thame;

2.    request changes to the order;

3.    reject the order, resulting in the Designated Public Places Order automatically converting into a Public Spaces Protection Order but covering alcohol offences only;

4.    reject the order and when the Designated Public Places Order automatically converted into a Public Spaces Protection Order ask for the Public Spaces Protection Order to be discharged immediately. 

Cabinet supported option 1, to approve the public spaces protection order for Thame, believing this would:

·         support the police in continuing to tackle alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in public places around the town;

·         provide the police with an additional tool to tackle groups of people causing alarm, distress, harassment or a nuisance in a public place;

·         demonstrate that anti-social drinking and anti-social behaviour was unacceptable and would not be tolerated in Thame’s public places;

·         help residents, businesses and visitors feel safe in the town; and

·         protect the economic viability of the town. 

Officers would review the effectiveness of the order and would review whether orders would assist in other towns. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)      approve the Public Spaces Protection Order for Thame to take effect from 1 May 2018, as set out in Appendix A to the head of housing and environment’s report to Cabinet on 5 April 2018; and

(b)     instruct the head of housing and environment to publish the order on the council’s website and ensure the necessary signage is installed in the town to publicise the order.