POLICE and Solihull Council have joined forced to implement the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in and around the bus interchange next to Chelmsley Wood shopping centre.
This has been brought in to help tackle anti-social behaviour which has had an increasingly negative impact on the area.
The decision to implement a PSPO follows a consultation that took place earlier in the year which received an overwhelmingly positive response from local people.
The order means that officers have additional powers to deal with anti-social behaviour in the area.
Specifically, it will prohibit people from riding, cycling or using an e-bike, e-scooter, motorbike or quad bike within the restricted area, unless they have a reasonable excuse, give the police the power to require groups of three or more people to leave the restricted area from 6pm to 6am if they’re suspected of anti-social behaviour and give the police the power to require a person to remove a face covering if it hides their identity and they’re suspected of anti-social behaviour.
Failure to comply with a PSPO is a criminal offence and currently the maximum penalty on conviction is £2,500.
Where an individual is suspected of an offence, they can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) as an alternative to prosecution.
The fixed penalty in Solihull is £100, reduced to £75, if paid within the first seven days.
Recipients of an FPN have a maximum of 14 days in which to pay the penalty, after which a file will be constructed and submitted for legal action.
It is the policy of the Council to prosecute those who do not pay a fixed penalty, however the Council has decided to adopt a two-tier response dependent on age alongside an escalating response according to whether it is a first, second or subsequent offence.
Local policing Inspector for Chelmsley Wood Andy Bridgewater said: “We know what a negative impact anti-social behaviour can have on people and we’ve been dealing with these issues specifically around the bus interchange in Chelmsley Wood for a while.
“Having a PSPO in place really supports us in the work we’re doing and the additional powers we have will really help us to clamp down on some of the issues which have had a such a negative impact on the community.
“While people often think of anti-social behaviour as being relatively ‘low level’ we know that it can lead to some really serious issues and cause real damage in our communities, we want to stop these issues at source rather than dealing with the repercussions later on.
“Working with the council means we have a joined up approach that can tackle a whole range of issues. We all want what’s best for our residents and business owners and we know from public feedback how much they want us to sort these problems out.
“If you live or work in Chelmsley Wood please help us to spread the word that we are taking this action and remind people to observe the PSPO. Residents can also help us to tackle anti-social behaviour across the borough by reporting anti-social behaviour to the police on 101 or using Solihull Council’s Hotline on 0121 717 1500.”
