New powers considered to combat aggressive begging

Birmingham City Council is pushing for new measures to tackle aggressive begging in the city centre after complaints from businesses.

The authority is proposing that aggressive or intrusive begging is added to the remit of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), the duration of which it is seeking to extend later this month.

Such orders allow local authorities to prohibit certain behaviours in specific locales, with a breach of the terms becoming an offence.

The city council said new anti-social issues that fell outside the scope of the current order – including aggressive begging – had become more prevalent, but added it recognised the issue could involve vulnerable people.

A council report, published ahead of a cabinet meeting on the matter next week, said the vast majority of people who responded to public consultation agreed with the prohibitions being added to the order.

The feedback included reports from a hotel that it had received negative comments from guests who complained they were targeted by beggars as soon as they approached the premises.

Another business complained it was "inundated with beggars".

The Central Business Improvement District (BID) said that some individuals sat outside businesses and begged while smoking drugs and drinking alcohol openly, which the PSPO prohibited.

"This will often end in the person collapsing on the floor through drink or drugs and ambulance and police having to be called to attend," the BID said.

"This is very upsetting for the businesses and the staff and has a negative effect on the area and the visitors, making it a very unpleasant place to work and visit."

In the report, the council said it recognised the causes of begging were complicated and involved vulnerable people with multi-agency teams supporting and referring them to services to address their needs.

But the authority added aggressive begging could be "intimidating and frightening" in other instances, and cited reports of people being targeted at the city's Christmas Market.

"This proposal would seek to prevent intrusive begging e.g. those who mingle in crowds, invade personal space, and ask for money," the report said.

"In particular, the PSPO could be used to restrict occasions or areas where any form of begging would not be allowed, such as high-profile events."

Because there were limited enforcement powers available, the introduction of new PSPOs provided the opportunity and flexibility to combat antisocial behaviour issues in an "effective and targeted way", the report stated.

Councillors will discuss the renewal of the PSPO on 21 January.

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This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.