Creating Safe and Welcoming Neighbourhoods

Hull City Council Review of Current Public Spaces Protection Orders.

A 12 week consultation period to give residents, businesses and visitors the opportunity to comment on the current Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that is due for renewal March 2025 and the proposed prohibitions that Hull City Council would like to add at the request of partners.

Residents, businesses and visitors who live, work and visit the -

• Drypool
• St Andrews and Dockland
• Newington and Gypsyville
• Avenue
• Bricknell
• Central
• Orchard Park
• University
• Beverley and Newland

wards are urged to take part to have their say on proposals for the proposed PSPO.

A PSPO can be used to deal with the consumption of alcohol in public spaces where it is, or is likely to be, detrimental to the local community's quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of the area which apply to everyone.

What we are asking you

Hull City Council is required to undertake a review of the current Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which is due to expire in March 2025. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 enables councils to introduce these Orders, after consultation with communities and other interested parties. The Orders must be reviewed every 3 years to ensure they are still necessary.

As part of our review we are considering the following three proposals -

1. Is the PSPO still required, or should it be discharged?
2. Does the PSPO cover the correct geographical area, or should it be extended?
3. To amend and add the following prohibitions to the PSPO and would these be supported?
   1. No person shall make any verbal, non-verbal or written request for money, donations or goods, including the placing of hats, clothing or containers so as to cause or is likely to cause harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance, or annoyance.
   2. No person shall loiter, sit or lay on the floor or on temporary structures in or adjacent to doorways or around pay machines (including banks, supermarkets) in a manner causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance or annoyance to any person within the Drypool, St Andrews and Dockland, Newington and Gypsyville, Avenue, Bricknell, Central, Orchard Park, University and Beverley and Newland Wards.
   3. No person shall consume alcohol in any public place in the Drypool, St Andrews and Dockland, Newington and Gypsyville, Avenue, Bricknell, Central, Orchard Park, University and Beverley and Newland Wards other than at licensed premises or shall be in possession of any opened vessel containing or purporting to contain alcohol in any public place save for those places identified by Section 62 of the Act.
   4. No person shall, after being requested to leave by an authorised officer due to them behaving in a manner causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance or annoyance to any person within the City Centre without reasonable excuse, remain or return to the City Centre within a period of 48 hours.

The purpose of this survey is to provide you with an opportunity to express your views on the above options. This is an opportunity for you to be consulted and for the views you express, along with those submitted by other interested parties, to be taken into account by the Council in any decisions made.

The aim of the PSPO is to support vulnerable people to break the cycle of begging, loitering around ATMS and pay machines and to reduce the impact this has on the local offer. People who make requests for money or donations in the community are less likely to access support services whilst they receive income from this to sustain their current lifestyles. This also impacts on the vibrancy and attractiveness of the environment of the city for residents, visitors, shoppers and businesses. Enforcement action will primarily focus on helping people to change behaviour and access support and services.

You can leave your feedback by completing the online survey.

The public consultation will close 2 December 2024.