Have your say on revision of West Bridgford PSPO order to tackle anti-social behaviours
Last updated: 8/8/2025
Rushcliffe residents are being encouraged to have their say on the renewal and revision of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that is in place to tackle anti-social behaviours resulting from such matters as street drinking and urinating in public.
Rushcliffe Borough Council is asking for views on a revised PSPO that seeks to address a small but impacting number of incidents related to the issues in recent years in the central and wider West Bridgford area.
The proposed renewal of the order maintains the restrictions on alcohol consumption in public spaces, prohibitions on urinating and defecating and continues to allow officers to move persons on that are causing a serious disturbance. The revised order builds on the existing order having been used to positive effect since 2017 and a strong deterrent to not flout its rules.
The order is being introduced to assist Police and other authorised Council officers to tackle certain behaviours and allows for the issuing of fixed penalty notices of up to £100 should individuals, for example refuse to give up drink when asked to do so in the designated area.
Residents can have their say by Friday September 5 via an online survey.
First introduced in February 2017 and renewed in December 2019 and December 2022, the PSPO was implemented to give additional powers to the authorities to deal with those refusing to follow requests in incidents linked to wider anti-social behaviours.
The order is issued under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and the revised proposed order outline controls on:
Street drinking
That person(s) within the area surrender any alcohol in their possession to an authorised person on request, if:
- they are found to be ingesting alcohol, or
- they are in possession of alcohol with the intention of drinking it within this area, or
- the authorised person has reasonable grounds to believe that such person is using or intends to drink the alcohol within the designated area.
This provision can be used when the police or other authorised officer has reasonable grounds for believing the person is or is likely to be a cause of nuisance, annoyance, fear or distress.
Dispersal of persons
In some cases, a person’s behaviour is such a concern that it could lead to an officer requiring them to leave the area by imposing an exclusion period of up to 48 hours from a specific location. This could be following a refusal to hand over drink for example, or other serious reason that is causing alarm, harassment or distress. It is expected that this will allow the Police and PCSOs and other authorised officers to respond proportionately to reports from members of the public about such behaviours in a more immediate and consistent manner.
Urinating or defecating in public areas
The final new element of the proposed order outlines no person shall urinate or defecate on land or street furniture within the designated area.
Urinating and defecating in public areas are generally considered anti-social and can lead to the spread of disease as well as blight public areas and as such when witnessed can lead to a fixed penalty notice to prevent recurrence and to act as a deterrent to such activity.
Should the proposals go ahead, signage outlining the existing PSPO will be amended to reflect the new changes with the Council’s Cabinet set to discuss the consultation’s outcomes later this year.
For more details on the proposals visit RBC's website page or for questions please email environmentalhealth@rushcliffe.gov.uk