News-Have your say on Public Space Protection Orders

We have four Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) in place across the county, which were introduced at different times following separate consultations.

The current orders are designed to tackle anti-social behaviour in the High Force area of Teesdale, ban the drinking of alcohol in public spaces in the city centre of Durham, control begging, urinating and the use of intoxicating substances in Durham City, and tackle issues caused by irresponsible dog ownership.

While some of these PSPOs do not yet need to be renewed, we would like to bring them all into line, so that they can be consulted on at the same time, every three years.

Making it easier for residents to have their say

Cllr John Shuttleworth, Cabinet member for highways, rural communities and community safety, said: "County Durham is a welcoming, friendly and safe place to live, work and visit, but, as in communities up and down the country, there are elements of anti-social behaviour and these PSPOs are in place to tackle those for the common good.

"Two of these PSPOs are scheduled to be renewed or expired by July this year so we'd like to hear from residents and partner agencies, to find out if they would support an extension and understand the impact they have had on communities.

"Ahead of consultations starting for these orders, we thought it would be a good opportunity to bring all four together to have the same start and end date. This will help us to be more efficient in the future and make it easier for residents to have their say on several issues at once.

"The orders have so far proved to be a swift and effective tool in tackling anti-social behaviour and improving the quality of life for those who live, work in and visit County Durham and we want to ensure that they continue to work for communities in the best possible way." 

More details on the orders 

Two of the PSPOs scheduled to be renewed or expired by July include an order for the High Force, Low Force, Gibson's Cave and surrounding areas of Upper Teesdale, which was introduced following a large influx of visitors during the pandemic.

We propose that this order expire in July after positive feedback from our neighbourhood wardens and Durham Constabulary last summer.

A ban on drinking alcohol in public spaces within Durham City is also due to be renewed or expired by July, with us proposing that this be extended for a further three years until 30 June 2028.

This gives officers the power to stop people drinking alcohol within this area and take anything believed to be alcohol away from those individuals. It covers the same areas as the order introduced late last year to control begging, urinating in the street and the use of intoxicating substances.

We also propose to extend our current PSPO around dog control across the county until 30 June 2028. This tackles issues arising from irresponsible dog ownership, with the number of reports made by members of the public, as well as enforcement actions taken by wardens, highlighting that this remains an issue in communities.

Supporting higher fines

In addition to seeking views on these measures, we would like to understand whether residents would be in favour of increasing the fine when a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) is issued for breaching a PSPO.

We're in favour of increasing the amounts for FPNs in line with those issued for dropping litter, which is currently £250 for a first offence, with a maximum of £500 for any offences that follow.