Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To seek the views of the Executive on proposals regarding the review of the existing Public Space Protection Order in the city centre area of Lincoln.

Decision

That the proposal to renew the Public Space Protection Order in its current form be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

In April 2015 the Executive approved the implementation of a Public Space Protection Order covering the city centre of Lincoln and prohibiting within the designated area the possession and consumption of alcohol and the consumption of, so called, ‘legal highs’ within the defined area.

It was a requirement of the Public Space Protection Order that this be reviewed after three years. As part of the review the Council had sought the views of both the public and relevant partner agencies by way of a public consultation undertaken between 2 January 2018 and 30 January 2018. In addition, data held by both the City of Lincoln Council and Lincolnshire Police had been collated and considered alongside the outcome of the public consultation.

Increased reports in the city centre of begging and vagrancy had been picked up by the Police analyst and although this had not featured in the responses received to the consultation, the Council knew anecdotally that this was an issue of concern to the public and businesses in the city which had become particularly prevalent over the past year. Significant consideration had been given to the inclusion of begging and vagrancy in the Public Space Protection Order, but it was proposed that they should not be added for the following reasons:

·         the Council and its partners had a well mapped enforcement plan in place already;

·         begging was a criminal offence and could be dealt with more appropriately in that way;

·         any inclusion in a Public Space Protection Order could potentially portray a message that begging outside of that area was acceptable;

·         all local authorities across the United Kingdom that had gone down this route had faced considerable public reaction around human rights.

This report had been considered by the Council’s Policy Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 20 February 2018 and an extract of the minutes from that meeting were circulated to members.