In a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour in public places, Cheshire West and Chester Council are asking for views on existing and proposed Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) controls. 

In October 2014, powers to tackle anti-social behaviour within communities, including the power to make PSPOs, was introduced under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. 

PSPOs can be used to regulate activities in public spaces that can have a detrimental effect on the local community.

They can help by giving local councils and local police additional powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in specific locations. 

A PSPO was created for the city of Chester in May 2016, which currently gives the police and authorised council officers, the authority to confiscate alcohol from any person who is drinking alcohol in a public place and is causing, or likely to cause, ASB.

Authorities can also enforce against any person who has urinated or defecated within a public space, or against any person using 'psychoactive substances' or is in possession of them or other items that can be used to take them.

The Chester City PSPO has been published online here.

Any person who does not comply with the PSPO may receive a £100 fixed penalty notice (FPN), or face prosecution with a maximum fine of £1,000.

Councils are required to carry out a review of PSPO measures every three years.

Police and authorised council officers have the authority to confiscate alcohol in Chester (Nub News)

A public consultation has been launched to gather feedback on existing and proposed measures in three sections:

Section one concerns the measures in the current Chester City PSPO.

Section two concerns additional measures that are being considered for inclusion under a varied Chester City PSPO.

Section three asks whether each measure should apply to Chester City only, or whether it should apply across the borough.

The council's cabinet member for homes, planning and safer communities, councillor Christine Warner said: "We would like to hear your views on the measures in the current Chester City PSPO, the additional measures being considered and the area where each measure should apply and welcome feedback from all our residents, businesses, visitors and partners.

"This feedback is really important for us to understand how anti-social behaviour harms our communities and to hear people's views on the measures contained within the PSPO."

Chester city centre getting very busy in the run-up to Christmas (Nub News)

The consultation will be running over an eight-week period from Wednesday 4 December 2024 until Thursday 30 January 2025.

There are several ways you can take part and share your views.

You can complete the survey online here.

Email views to: [email protected]

Telephone: 01244 973708, quoting 'PSPO Consultation'.

Write to Cheshire West and Chester Council at, PSPO consultation, Community Safety, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA.

You can request a copy of the consultation in alternative formats, including paper and easy read, using the contact details below.

Further information on all current PSPOs for Cheshire West and Chester can be found here.