Public gets say on tackling anti-social behaviour

Measures to curb anti-social behaviour have been proposed by a local authority in Oxfordshire.

Cherwell District Council wants to implement a new public spaces protection order (PSPO) for Banbury town centre and People's Park.

The order would give the council and Thames Valley Police additional powers to discourage antisocial behaviour and to issue fines.

Cllr Rob Parkinson, portfolio holder for regulatory at the council, said: "A PSPO signals to people that we want the best for Banbury and allows our community wardens and colleagues in the police service to take enforcement action if necessary."

A public consultation into the plans runs until 23 August.

The order would allow the authorities to issue fixed penalty notices for certain actions within the area - including abusive, violent or aggressive behaviour.

If approved, it would be in place for three years, with an option to renew it at the end of that time.

Cllr Parkinson said: “We want people to enjoy everything Banbury has to offer without experiencing antisocial behaviour.

“Incidents of aggressive begging, street drinking and verbal abuse are relatively rare, but they can have a serious impact on their victims when they do happen."

The council said it would initially use the order to warn potential offenders, and would only issue fines for repeated breaches of the rules.

It also said potential offenders would be referred to local support services in the first instance.

The plans are based on a previous order consultation that took place in 2023.

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