Agenda item - Public Space Protection Orders Parks and Green Spaces Review

Report of the Interim Executive Director Housing, Neighbourhoods & Communities

RESOLVED – That the Committee notes that the current orders lapse on 31st December 2019 and directs officers to undertake a review to explore the enforcement of existing alternative legal tools such as bye-laws and to further detail options to remove the use of PSPOs in the Parks and Open Spaces in the Brighton & Hove area.

24.1    The Committee considered a report of the Interim Executive Director, Housing Neighbourhoods and Communities the purpose of which was to consider the effectiveness of the Parks and Open Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that was implemented in April 2017 under section 59 of the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 and the continued use of the PSPO which was in place until 31 December 2019.

24.2    The Head of Safer Communities and Trading Standards introduced the report and explained the context of the existing PSPO, requesting that the Committee note the current arrangements which were in place and were due to lapse on 31 December 2019 and that it was recommended that officers undertake an in depth analysis of the Parks and Open Spaces PSPO needed to be re-introduced in their current form or altered to include further/less areas and prohibitions in the future. As part of that review officers should explore the use of alternative legal tools.

24.3    It was noted that a proposed amendment had been received from the Green Group in the following terms:

“2.1 That the Committee notes that the current orders lapse on 31st December 2019 and directs officers to undertake an in depth analysis of whether the Parks and Open Spaces PSPO need to be re- introduced in the current form or altered to include further/less areas and prohibitions in the future. As part of that a review officers should also to explore the use of enforcement of existing alternative legal tools such as bye-laws and to further detail options to remove the use of PSPOs in Parks and Open Spaces in the Brighton & Hove area.”

24.4    The amendment had been proposed by Councillor Ebel and seconded by Councillor Powell both of whom at the Chair’s invitation spoke in support of their proposed amendment.

24.5    Following discussion the Chair put the proposals as amended and they were agreed as set out below.

24.6    RESOLVED – That the Committee notes that the current orders lapse on 31 December 2019 and directs officers to undertake a review to explore the enforcement of existing alternative tools such as bye-laws and to further detail options to remove the use of PSPOs in the Brighton and Hove area.