Public Spaces Protection Orders

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) enable Local Authorities to deal with a particular issue in a particular area that is having a detrimental effect on the quality of life for those in the local community.

In Peterborough there are currently three area PSPOs; one in the City Centre, one in Millfield, New England, Eastfield and Embankment area and a PSPO to tackle vehicle-related nuisance and anti-social behaviour at Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park. There are also six PSPOs which are for the gating of alleyways that have previously experienced significant anti-social behaviour which has had a detrimental impact on communities.

The PSPOs will directly enable the Local Authority and the Safer Peterborough Partnership achieve their objectives to ‘Keep our communities safe, cohesive and healthy’ and to ‘Tackle anti-social behaviour’.

Millfield, New England, Eastfield and Embankment PSPO

The conditions of the Millfield, New England, Eastfield and Embankment PSPO are as follows:

• Persons within the designated area, on the request of a Police Constable, Police Community Support Officer or an authorised Council Officer are to comply with the request to dispose of or surrender any open containers of alcohol in their possession or disperse from the immediate location and not return within 6 hrs, unless for a lawful reason. Persons dispersed from the immediate location may remain within the designated area for lawful purposes.
• No urination and/or defecation in a public place other than within designated public toilets.
• Any individual is to disperse from the immediate location and not return within 6 hrs, unless for a lawful reason, if requested to do so by a Police Constable, Police Community Support Officer or an authorised Council Officer if the officer is of the opinion that the individual is causing harassment, alarm or distress. Persons dispersed from the immediate location may remain within the designated area for lawful purposes.
• No littering or spitting. It is an offence to throw down, drop or otherwise deposit and then leave, litter in any place in the open air in the defined area.
• It is an offence under this order for any individual(s) to commit anti social behaviour, as defined by Section 2 of the 2014 Act by conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person(s) . Examples may include: use of offensive or abusive language, acting in an aggressive manner.
• Persons within Stanley Recreation Ground, Stanley Road, Crawthorne Road, Brook Street car park, Broadway (from its junction with Northminster and up to Crawthorne Rd and Burghley Square junction), Fitzwilliam Street, Church Walk (from Stanley Recreation Ground up to junction with Park Road) and Park Road (from Junction with Fitzwilliam Street and up to an including junction with Burghley Square) as defined in the map outlined in red are prohibited to consume alcohol or be in possession of an open vessel containing alcohol, other than on licensed premises, where a Temporary Event Notice is in operation in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003, or where there are any other authorisation i.e. Pavement Licence.
• Adults are prohibited from being present in a designated children's playground area unless they are accompanying a child of 14 or under, unless the person using the play equipment/park requires the attention of a recognised carer or they are present in an official capacity or with lawful excuse.
• No begging within 10 metres of a cash or payment machine or begging in a manner which is aggressive or intimidating or is likely to cause someone to feel harassed, alarmed or distressed.

Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park PSPO

The conditions of the Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park PSPO are as follows:

Any person in the order area commits an offence if they carry out any of the following activities:

1. Participating in ‘Vehicle-related nuisance and anti-social behaviour’ at Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park within the area. Participating in ‘Vehicle-related nuisance and anti-social behaviour’ means being the registered keeper or driver of, or being carried in or on a motor vehicle (including motorbikes) on a highway, or a publicly accessible place, at which any such vehicle, or occupant of a vehicle, performs any of the activities listed below:

• Causing a danger to other road and car park users including pedestrians or causing a significant risk of damage to property by either speeding or racing
• Driving in convoy while car cruising
• Performing stunts – definitions and examples of stunts are listed in Schedule 2 of the order
• Sudden and/or rapid acceleration (as to cause a public nuisance)
• Repeated sudden and/or rapid acceleration (as to cause a public nuisance)
• Repeatedly sounding horns and/or revving of engines (as to cause a public nuisance)
• Playing music excessively loud (as to cause a public nuisance)
• Using foul or abusive language which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress
• Using threatening, intimidating behaviour towards another person, or
• Causing obstruction on a public highway, or a publicly accessible place, whether moving or stationary

2. To promote, organise or publicise, via email, the internet, Facebook, Twitter or similar social media, or any publication or broadcast any ‘car cruising’ within the defined area. 'Car cruising’ means being the registered keeper or driver of, or being carried in or on a motor vehicle, when two or more vehicles (including motorbikes) being on a highway, or a publicly accessible place, at which any such vehicle, or occupant of a vehicle, performs any of the activities listed above.

3. Attending any meeting of two or more vehicles within the defined area of Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park either as a vehicle owner, driver, passenger or spectator and engaging in any activity that a reasonable person would consider to be 'car cruising'.

Full details of the prohibited activities and defined order area can be accessed from the documents here:

Gating Orders with Public Space Protection Orders

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policy Act 2014 replaced Gating Orders with Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs). You can view the current PSPOs for the gating of alleyways below.

Coneygree Road and Scott Close

The following conditions are imposed on the use of the land:

• To restrict the public right of way at all times at either end of the highway which runs between 211 and 219 Coneygree Road and between 12 and 14 Scott Close by all persons except for occupiers of premises adjoining or adjacent to and owners of such premises, council officers and those authorised by the council, the emergency services and other service providers listed in the Second Schedule.
• To authorise the erection and maintenance of gates at both ends of the restricted area in order to enforce the restriction.
• The alternative route available for vehicle and pedestrian access is via Coneygree Road, Ellwood Avenue and Scott Close, Stanground, Peterborough which is marked on the map.
• In this area any person who fails to comply with any of these conditions commits an offence.

The order came into force on 4 October 2023 for a duration of three years. 

Furze Ride and Welland Road

The following conditions are imposed on the use of the land:

• To restrict the public right of way at all times at either end of the highway which runs between 4 and 6 Lavender Crescent, 7 and 8 Laburnum Grove, 57 to 69 Furze Ride and 195 to 207 Welland Road by all persons except for occupiers of premises adjoining or adjacent to and owners of such premises, council officers and those authorised by the council, the emergency services and other service providers listed in the Second Schedule.
• To authorise the erection and maintenance of gates at both ends of the restricted area in order to enforce the restriction.
• The alternative route available for pedestrian access to rear of 4 and 6 Lavender Crescent, 7 and 8 Laburnum Grove, 57 to 69 Furze Ride and 195 to 207 Welland Road will be along the footpath adjacent to the road along Laburnum Grove, Furze Ride, Lavender Crescent and Welland Road as shown on the map.
• In this area any person who fails to comply with any of these conditions commits an offence.

The order came into force on 4 October 2023 for a duration of three years.

Goodacre

The following conditions are imposed on the use of the land:

• To restrict the public right of way at all times at either end of the highway which runs between 8 and 9 Goodacre and the garages of 11 and 12 Goodacre by all persons except for occupiers of premises adjoining or adjacent to and owners of such premises, council officers and those authorised by the council, the emergency services and other service providers listed in the Second Schedule.
• To authorise the erection and maintenance of gates at both ends of the restricted area in order to enforce the restriction.
• The alternative routes are via the main road and other footpaths in Goodacre and Bathurst, Orton Goldhay.
• In this area any person who fails to comply with any of these conditions commits an offence.

The order came into force on 4 October 2023 for a duration of three years.

Kings Walk - 2022

The following conditions are imposed on the use of the land:

• To restrict the public right of way at all times at either end of the highway which runs between 14 and 16 Kings Gardens and 256 Park Road and 2 Garton End Road by all persons except for occupiers of premises adjoining or adjacent and owners of such premises, council officers and those authorised by the council, the emergency services and other service providers as detailed in the Second Schedule.
• To authorise the erection and maintenance of gates at both ends of the restricted area in order to enforce the restriction.
• The alternative route for pedestrian access from Kings Gardens to Garton End Road and Park Road will be along the footpath on Garton Street and vice versa indicated by the dotted red line on the map.
• In this area any person who fails to comply with any of these conditions commits an offence.

The Order came into force on 2 November 2022 for a duration of three years. 

Larch grove

The following conditions are imposed on the use of the land:

• To restrict the public right of way at all times at either end of the highway which runs between 39 and 45 Larch Grove in a north east direction and all the interconnecting highway that runs there in a south east direction to the rear of 21 Larch Grove and to the side of 17 Larch Grove by all persons except for occupiers of premises adjoining or adjacent to and owners of such premises, council officers and those authorised by the council, the emergency services and other service providers listed in the Second Schedule.
• To authorise the erection and maintenance of gates at both ends of the restricted area in order to enforce the restriction.
• The alternative route for vehicle and pedestrian access is via other footpaths along Rowan Avenue, Newark Avenue, Sycamore Avenue and Eastern Avenue.
• In this area any person who fails to comply with any of these conditions commits an offence.

The order came into force on 4 October 2023 for a duration of three years.

Welland Close and Crocus Grove

The following conditions are imposed on the use of the land:

• To restrict the public right of way at all times at either end of the highway which runs between 42 and 43 Welland Close in a north and east direction and all the interconnecting highway to the rear of 9 and 11 Crocus Grove by all persons except for occupiers of premises adjoining or adjacent to and owners of such premises, council officers and those authorised by the council, the emergency services and other service providers listed in the Second Schedule.
• To authorise the erection and maintenance of gates at both ends of the restricted area in order to enforce the restriction.
• The alternative route for pedestrian access is via other footpaths along Crocus Grove leading through to Welland Recreation Ground and on to Welland Road. Access to Welland Road via Welland Close can also be made via a smaller alleyway in Welland Close.
• In this area any person who fails to comply with any of these conditions commits an offence.

The order came into force on 4 October 2023 for a duration of three years.

Alternative formats

If you require any of the documents on this page in an alternative format, please contact 01733 747474 and ask to speak to the Safer Communities team or email antisocialbehaviour@peterborough.gov.uk.

Breaching a PSPO

If someone is caught breaching a PSPO, authorised council officers from our Safer Communities Service as well as Police Constables and Police Community Support Officers can enforce resulting in fines of up to £1,000 or Fixed Penalty Notices.

If you see someone breaching the PSPO conditions, you can report it to the Safer Communities Service by calling 01733 747474.