City centre PSPO to tackle anti-social behaviour set to be renewed again

A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which aims to tackle anti-social behaviour in the city centre is set to be renewed.

Executive board members will be asked next week (Tuesday 7 March) to agree a three-year continuation of the existing order.

A PSPO has been in place in the city centre and parts of Rhosddu since 2016 after being introduced in response to a series of high-profile issues surrounding anti-social behaviour.

The conditions of the order, which was last renewed in January 2020, include:

• Behaving in a manner likely to cause harassment, alarm, nuisance or distress
• Prohibition on alcohol consumption and open containers
• Loitering in a State of intoxication
• Urinating and defecating in public areas
• Prohibition on Ingesting, injecting, inhaling, smoking or otherwise using
• intoxicating substances, or being in possession of open containers

A breach of a PSPO can lead to a maximum fine not exceeding £1000 or a fixed penalty notice of £100.

Over the last three years 11 FPNs were issued by city centre wardens in the Regent Street, Market Street ,Ty Pawb, York Street, Henblas Street, High Street and Peace Gardens.

Zero fines were administered in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tuesday’s executive board report notes that “enforcement alone is not the answer to the issues, but it is a “vital part” of a multi-agency approach that we have adopted.”

It continues onto say: “Since the last PSPO was made, agencies continue to collectively encourage vulnerable people to engage with services and to ensure they are offered help and support routes out of the situation they find themselves in.

“However, where there is no engagement with agencies by an individual and they continue to cause anti-social behaviour, then the sanctions available would be a fixed penalty notice or prosecution.

Speaking to Wrexham.com at a media briefing this week Cllr Paul Roberts, lead member for partnerships and community safety, explained that FPNs are seen as a ‘last resort’.

Cllr Roberts said: “We’re there to help people. This is a minor cog in that wheel of the overall scope.”

His report details how multi-agency partnership – consisting of the council, health board, police, housing and drug and alcohol teams – meets every fortnight to gather information to support individuals and to provide outreach.

The health board, through funding from the Area Planning Board, have implemented an enhanced harm reduction scheme to engage with vulnerable individuals living with complex needs around substance misuse, mental health and homelessness, who are not in contact with or who have lost contact with, mainstream services.

A public consultation, which ran between January and February, garnered 60 responses – the majority of which were in support of continuing with the PSPO.

However there were questions from some participants over whether the order was the appropriate response.

Deputy leader of Wrexham Council Leader, Cllr David A Bithell, said: “I think by only having 60 responses shows that everybody supported effectively because I’m sure if they didn’t support it, there’d be 600 complaints.

“I think the multi-agency response that we’ve got the homeless and housing, our outreach workers and community safety and the North Wales Police has really been a success.”

Asked whether the PSPO has helped change the perception that Wrexham had back in 2016, Cllr Roberts said: “I think it may be taken to be one factor amongst many. I don’t think you can identify one particular item.

“We’ve got city status, the city is going the right way, the football club is booming. I think everything has been positive at the moment

“With regards to the PSPO this is a means of giving limited powers to the city centre wardens in liaison with North Wales Police to utilise if they need to.

“I think the council’s approach is we are working with individuals out there and trying to help them.

“We’re trying to help people the people of Wrexham first and foremost, whatever their needs.”

Cllr Bithell added: “We see fewer incidents in the city centre now I believe than what we used to – because it used to be quite regular that we’d have problems, but I don’t think you’ll see that now.

“It’s hard to measure but i think it has been a success and hopefully this one will be equally as successful.”

The report will be discussed by executive board members on Tuesday 7 March. The meeting will also be webcast on the Wrexham Council website.