Skip to content

Car cruising hotspot gets public protection order

Joe Griffin
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Peterborough City Council White van with lights on, pictured in a snow-covered car park. The pattern of tyre marks in the snow indicates that the driver has been performing donuts. Another car with its lights shining brightly is facing the camera to the right while another vehicle with headlights on appears to be stationary in the background.Peterborough City Council
A driver was jailed and banned from driving after doing doughnuts at Pleasure Fair Meadow car park

New conditions will be in place for three years in an attempt to crack down on anti-social behaviour at a car cruising hotspot.

The public space protection order (PSPO) is being used by Peterborough City Council at Pleasure Fair Meadow car park.

The council said it had received several reports from nearby residents of noise, smoke and odours from the site.

A consultation found 151 out of 169 responses were in favour of the PSPO, which could see fines of up to £1,000 or penalty notices for people who break the rules.

People told the council about meets involving up to 300 cars and smaller gatherings of vehicles where some drivers carried out manoeuvres like doughnuts and handbrake turns.

There were also complaints about litter, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Cabinet member for housing and communities, Alison Jones, said: "We have listened to feedback from residents and are taking direct action by setting up a PSPO aimed at tackling crime and improving the quality of life for communities within this area of the city."

Pleasure Fair Meadow car park is monitored by a council-operated CCTV camera, which logged 32 incidents of anti-social or dangerous driving between April 2023 and November 2024.

Google The car park seen from the road, with about 40 cars parked in it in daylight. There are trees lining one edge and a metal fence along the left border, and the overhead wires and gantries of the train line. Google
Councillor Christian Hogg said it had taken "an incredibly long time" for the order to be put in place

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Christian Hogg, represents the Fletton and Stanground ward where the car park is located.

He said: "It is absolutely most welcome, as the residents around Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park have been blighted for years with screeching tyres, revving engines and loud music on a regular basis.

"Hopefully this PSPO will finally produce a solution because it gives the police far more power to move people on and for them to not come back 15 minutes later."

In Peterborough there are currently two area PSPOs – one in the city centre and one covering the Millfield, New England, Eastfield and Embankment areas.

Independent councillor Julie Stevenson chaired the task and finish group created to examine the issue.

She said: "This is great. It has taken a long time but now it is here and hopefully it will be effective in just getting people some nights where they can sleep again."

Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Related internet links