North Yorkshire's Acting Chief Constable is in favour of an alcohol ban for streets in Scarborough town Centre.
North Yorkshire Council has launched a consultation on proposals to introduce a Public Space Protection Order in the town following an increase in reports of anti-social behaviour.
North Yorkshire's Acting Chief Constable - Elliot Foskett is in favour of the ban.
PSPO’s are designed to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in an area which is having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the community. In the three years to January 2024, North Yorkshire Police dealt with 1,191 incidents of anti-social behaviour linked to alcohol in Scarborough – with 67 per cent of them in the town centre area.
A previous PSPO for a designated area of the town expired in 2023 and although it was not a blanket ban on drinking in public places, the restrictions were linked to anti-social behaviour or the potential for it.
The council is now asking for views on two proposals – either to place restrictions on drinking alcohol in the street, or to ban drinking of alcohol in the street entirely, within a designated (hot spot) area regardless of whether there is associated anti-social behaviour.
Neither proposal would apply to the consumption of alcohol on licensed premises - if a restaurant with outdoor seating is licensed to sell alcohol, the outdoor area would not be subject to a PSPO.
When a PSPO is in place in an area, alcohol consumption in that area only becomes a criminal offence if someone refuses to stop drinking, or to hand over alcohol, when they are asked to do so by a police officer, police community support officer or an authorised council officer. If someone breaches the PSPO a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of up to £100 can be issued.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for stronger communities, Cllr David Chance, said:
“We believe these statistics indicate the need for a tougher approach to deal with the issue.
“Over the past few years, we have had constant complaints from Scarborough residents relating to anti-social behaviour in the town centre, which has become a hot spot for incidents. The previous PSPO expired last year, and we now want to bring in more rigorous restrictions.”
The consultation – which runs until May 1 can be accessed at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/scarborough-pspo
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