Residents are being asked to have their say on plans to address the issue of anti-social behaviour caused by street drinking in Warrington.
The council has launched a public consultation to renew the current borough wide alcohol Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). It is part of the Warrington Community Safety Partnership’s wider work to improve safety in public spaces.
If re-introduced, the PSPO would serve as a continuation of the arrangements already in place, which were introduced in 2018.
Consultation related to the PSPO seeks views from the public as to whether they would like to see the re-introduction of the current order for a further three years.
Cabinet member for environment and public protection, Cllr Judith Guthrie said: “These proposals are an important part of our wider work to make Warrington a better place to live. The existing order we have in place brings real benefits, by helping us manage problem areas and reduce the impact of street drinking. These PSPO proposals aim to enable this work to continue, supporting our on-going work to keep our communities safe.
“I believe that this is an issue that many people will have opinions on and that’s why it’s important that we consult fully on these proposals. We want to seek the public views about whether they’ve been affected by alcohol related anti-social behaviour. No decisions will be made until the views of the public are taken fully on-board.”
The PSPO would not mean a ban on public drinking, but would continue to enable greater control of it where it is causing problems, such as large groups of drinkers intimidating residents or passers-by. Measures in place would include police retaining current powers to confiscate alcohol where there is associated anti-social behaviour. However, as well as enforcement, there would be an equal focus on support for those involved in this behaviour.
The public consultation on the proposals is now under way and runs for four weeks, until 5pm on Wednesday 24 March 2021. Details of the results will be published on our website.
For more information and to contribute to the consultation, visit warrington.gov.uk/consultations or email communitysafetywbc@warrington.gov.uk.
