Anti-social behaviour town centre survey
Proposal for apartment block next to park removed
SPECIAL legislation aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour in Loughborough town centre runs out at the end of this year - and views have been sought on whether to try and keep it in place.
Charnwood Borough Council currently has a Civil Injunction and a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in place for the centre.
The Civil Injunction is to prevent anybody engaging or threatening to engage in conduct causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in the town centre, engaging in any drug related activity, defecating, urinating, begging and littering.
The order gives a police officer the power to ask you to stop drinking alcohol in the designated locality if you are creating disorder or behaving in an anti-social manner, or are likely to behave in an anti-social or disorderly way.
But with the injunction due to run out at the end of the year, Charnwood Borough Council and Charnwood Community Safety Partnership has, for the past month, been hosting an online Community Safety Survey.
They asked questions such as how safe do people feel in the day and night visiting Loughborough town centre, how much of a problem is drinking alcohol, taking drugs, anti-social behaviour, begging, rough sleeping and inconsiderate cycling on the street.
To highlight the issue, on Wednesday night last week, Charnwood Police tweeted: “We are out and about patrolling the town centre tonight in response to recent ASB issues, pop over and say hi if you are passing.”
And one local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, called the Echo last week to complain about anti-social behaviour in Market Place and around the Carillon Court Shopping Centre.
He said: “There are groups of kids who really do need to be dealt with and they are running riot.”
The survey finished yesterday (Tuesday).
A Charnwood Borough Council spokesperson said: “This is not a general consultation about crime in the town centre but about a civil injunction put in place in December 2016 and run- ning until December 2018 and about a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which restricts people drinking alcohol if it is linked to anti-social behaviour in the town centre.
“Under the relevant legislation and best practice we are required to consult with stakeholders at various times about the effectiveness of the order or PSPO.
“On this occasion we decided to go an extra step and invite views from the public as well as stakeholders and partners.
“We highlighted the con- sultation on social media on August 13 and again more recently. To re-iterate, this is beyond what is required for this kind of consultation and it is not a general survey about crime.
“We have received more than 220 responses and we thank people for their views.
“The results of the consultation about the civil injunction will be presented to the County Court if it is deemed necessary to extend the Order.
“For the PSPO, the consultation results will be used by the Charnwood Community Safety Partnership to assess both its necessity and proportionality, something it is considered best practice to do on a regular basis.”
Speaking about the survey, Marianne Smith, Love Loughborough Ambassador, said: “It is just to get general feedback from businesses and Loughborough people on how safe they feel being around Loughborough day and night.”