Street-drinking ban in town could be extended
Barnaby Perkins/BBCA ban on street-drinking in parts of a town where alcohol-related crime has fallen could be extended.
The current public spaces protection order (PSPO) was introduced in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, in 2023 and is due to expire next month.
Fenland District Council is looking to extend it for another three years, which it said was supported by more than 98% of the residents it surveyed.
The authority's cabinet will discuss the proposal at a meeting on Monday.
The PSPO allows police and council officers to seize alcohol in public areas where street-drinking and related anti-social behaviour have been a problem.
It currently covers several areas of Wisbech, including Tillery Field and the St Peter and St Paul's churchyard.
Similar orders have been in place in the town since 2017.
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A report prepared by council officers said alcohol-related crime had fallen by 41% since the order was first introduced, according to figures provided to the authority by the police.
About 120 residents responded to a public consultation on the issue, according to the report.
Almost all of them said they felt anti-social behaviour would continue or worsen if the PSPO was not extended.
"I used to enjoy taking a walk around the town centre including all the relevant areas included in this survey in my lunch break," one resident wrote. "I only go now if necessary."
Several comments said the order needed to be better enforced.
The report said the council worked closely with Cambridgeshire Police to carry out joint patrols.
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