Decision details

Councillor Matthew Barber declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item due to his role as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley.  He did not take part in the voting on this item. 

Cabinet considered the report of the head of legal and democratic services on a proposal to introduce a public spaces protection order for Abingdon. 

Abingdon was covered by a designated public places order that had been introduced to tackle alcohol-related anti-social behaviour.  Under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, this order would automatically convert to a public spaces protection order in October 2017.  The draft order had received support during a public consultation. 

The report set out four options:

1.    To approve the order as set out in appendix A to the report. 

2.    To amend the order and conduct further consultation. 

3.    To reject the order and allow the automatic conversion of the existing designated public places order in October. 

4.    To reject the order and when the existing designated public places order automatically converted into a public spaces protection order in October, reject the converted order also. 

Cabinet supported option 1 as the new order would allow the police to address a wider range of offences to tackle other local anti-social behaviour issues that were persistent and had a significant, detrimental impact on the community. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)       approve the making of the proposed Public Spaces Protection Order under section 59 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for the area of Abingdon as set out in appendix A to the head of legal and democratic services’ report, to come into effect on 1 August 2017;

(b)       authorise the head of legal and democratic services to do all things necessary to give effect to the order; and

(c)       authorise the head of legal and democratic services, following consultation with the Cabinet member for community safety, to finalise the briefing note to Thames Valley Police on the enforcement of the order.