A recent consultation by Waverley Borough Council asking whether the current anti-social behaviour PSPO (Public Spaces Protection Order) should be extended for another three years, showed an overwhelming majority agreeing that it should.
In March 2024, the council gathered views from residents, visitors and businesses in Waverley about its current anti-social behaviour PSPO relating to helping:
- police deal with anti-social behaviour in Godalming and Farncombe,
- our staff manage the lighting of barbecues and bonfires on Council managed parks and green spaces throughout the borough.
The consultation, which was open for two weeks, was available online and 40 residents and visitors responded, highlighting where they may have experienced anti-social behaviour and expressing their views on the powers contained in the PSPO.
Anti-social Behaviour in Godalming and Farncombe.
When asked about their personal knowledge of anti-social behaviour, 53% of respondents said they had witnessed or experienced it in Godalming or Farncombe in the last 12 months. The main areas of concern were around Farncombe Railway Station and some parts of Godalming Town Centre.
Between 52% and 67% of respondents felt that issues including drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and causing anti-social behaviour were still a problem in the Godalming and Farncombe area. When asked whether they felt that current restrictions to deal with these issues were necessary, 85% of respondents agreed.
Barbecues and bonfires in parks and greenspaces
Whilst only 42.5% of respondents felt that lighting of barbecues and bonfires in parks and greenspaces was a problem, 75% felt that the prohibitions on unauthorised barbecues and bonfires was necessary. In addition, 85% of respondents felt that it was necessary to prohibit people leaving a permitted barbecue or bonfire unattended when alight.
Sam Hutchison, Waverley Borough Council’s Executive Head of Community Services, said:
“It is important that we get the views of our community so we can decide on the best course of action. Although Waverley, as a whole, is a safe place to live or visit, we can see that the majority of people in the borough that responded, appreciate that we have the ability to tackle, alongside the police, any persistent issues in parts of the borough.”
The proposed extension of the current PSPO will be discussed over the next few weeks at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 26 March 2024 and the Executive on Tuesday 9 April 2024.
The decision on whether the PSPO will be extended for a further 3 years will be made in the week commencing 16 April 2024 and full results of the consultation will be available to view online the following month.
You can find further detail on the current PSPO and background to the Order by visiting our website at Waverley Borough Council - Anti-social behaviour PSPO.