News Have your say on measures to reduce antisocial behaviour in the town centre
Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is asking people’s views on a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which applies to Maidstone Town Centre and gives the Council powers to stop antisocial behaviour.
The current Order covers a geographical area in the town centre, it applies for three years and runs out in September. An extension is proposed for a further three years and the Council now needs to review this.
A PSPO allows the Council to deal with measures to reduce anti-social behaviour in the town centre around alcohol and persistent begging.
Cllr Lottie Parfitt-Reid, Lead Member for Communities and Public Engagement at MBC said:
We know through feedback we receive that anti-social behaviour can detrimentally affect people's quality of life and one of our key objectives is make sure Maidstone is a safe place to live and visit. We want residents and visitors to enjoy public spaces in our town centre and that they are safe and welcoming places to visit.We have found the PSPO to be an excellent deterrent and a very effective way of tackling various aspects of anti-social behaviour associated with the two measures the PSPO specifically controls. It enables the police to advise people to modify their behaviour when drinking and behaving inappropriately.
It also allows our outreach service to encourage those in need to access the appropriate support services, rather than ask for money on the street.
To help give us a clear picture of how antisocial behaviour is viewed and if we are dealing with it in the best way please let us know your views by completing the survey.
In 2017 MBC introduced a PSPO which was renewed in 2020.
The survey takes around six minutes to complete and closes on Monday 8 May. To take the survey visit: https://letstalkmaidstone.uk.engagementhq.com/town-centre-psp0-2023-review
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