Clampdown on bikes and booze
ACLAMPDOWN on anti-social drinking and offroad biking has been announced under new powers to tackle “intimidation and harassment”.
Rossendale police and Rossendale council will seek to address consumption of alcohol and nitrous oxide in public places, as well as unauthorised use of offroad bikes, electric scooters and quad bikes.
The ‘Public Spaces Protection Order’ (PSPO) is in effect borough-wide and can be enforced by police and council-authorised officers. Offenders will be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
The powers were actually approved by the full council last December, but were subject to an eight-week consultation.
It’s understood administrative and enforcement structures also needed to be put in place before being rolled out.
The stated reason given for the PSPO was: “The facilities and enjoyment of our towns, parks and open spaces should be open to everyone without fear, intimidation or harassment, and these measures will ensure that this is the case for the foreseeable future.” Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (MPVs) - including electric bikes - are banned from being used on any publicly owned land or highway in the borough, or any other land without permission of the owner. Anyone in possession of an MPV in a public space will need to produce appropriate insurance even if it is not being ridden. In addition, a person is also prohibited from parking up a vehicle or trailer with the intention to then offload any MPV to be used on public land or land without the permission of the owner.
Lancashire Constabulary say people who own such vehicles can use authorised and professionally run venues if they wish to take part in this hobby.
“Public spaces are not appropriate, and are not safe, for people to ride around on these vehicles,” said Rossendale Inspector Chris Valentine.
“The purpose of this order is to discourage street drinking and those using Nitrous Oxide in public. Offroad bikes and other such vehicles have been highlighted as an issue and this order seeks to target those who use these vehicles in an inappropriate or anti-social way.” It will also be an offence for anyone to refuse to cease drinking alcohol in a public place away from a licensed premises and not surrender any opened vessels of alcohol. Should the person be believed to be under 18 they may also have any alcoholic drinks confiscated - whether opened or not. It will also be an offence for any person not to surrender any nitrous oxide canisters or related paraphernalia.
Coun Steve Hughes, cabinet member for communities, said the purpose of the PSPO was essentially to deal with “particular issues that we were getting constantly”.
“We have had significant numbers of complaints and, working with the police, we thought the best way was to put in this borough-wide protection,” he told the Free Press.
Agreeing that proper enforcement was “the key”, he admitted the council’s role in administering fines would likely be limited by resources to a more indirect role such as intelligence-sharing. He welcomed extra investment from the Police and Crime Commissioner in Rossendale’s community policing, following the transition from a so-called hybrid model last year, but questioned some of the rhetoric around the overhaul.
“It’s about having the resource to pick up these things,” he added. “Local police officers that know the area and that can tackle those community issues. The extra resource is great, but the extra 20,000 police officers that have been promised across the country - all that does is put them back to levels that were there pre-2012.”