Have your say on tackling street drinking in Bedford town centre area

Today is the deadline for responding to Bedford Borough Council's consultation on a proposed new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to tackle street drinking and related anti-social behaviour in Bedford town centre area. This PSPO would give the Police and authorised officers powers to enforce against people breaking it.

The Bedford Borough Community Safety Partnership undertook a wide-ranging consultation with the public in 2019, and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in the town centre came back as a key concern for people.

In response, the Council along with other partners, is proposing a PSPO to cover the town centre from the Embankment in the south, St Cuthbert's Street in the east, De Parys Avenue and Roff Avenue in the north, and Ashburnham Road in the west.

This PSPO would prohibit people consuming alcohol or having an open container of alcohol in the defined area, to prevent anti-social behaviour.

If approved, the PSPO would be enforced in a graduated way from asking the person to surrender the alcohol, issuing a Community Protection Notice, a criminal behaviour order, to issuing a fixed penalty notice.

The Council will continue to offer support for people where appropriate, such as referral to alcohol support services.

The proposed PSPO is aiming to tackle an issue that was identified by local people as a key concern for the town centre area, i.e. anti-social behaviour linked to alcohol. We want to know what residents and businesses think of this proposal and how we can work together to tackle street drinking in Bedford. Have your say and find out more at www.bedford.gov.uk/pspo.

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