AS a consultation on plans to clamp down on anti-social behaviour in the town centre closes today, local democracy reporter Nick Statham looks at the effect of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).

COUNCIL chiefs believe it is vital for people to feel safe when coming to Bolton town centre.

Part of their vision involves getting tough on aggressive begging, substance abuse, and harassment from overly-assertive charity collectors – or “chuggers”.

Those are just some of the activities deterring people from coming to Bolton town centre, according to a survey of Bolton shoppers.

Respondents told how they felt “hounded” as they crossed Victoria Square and were intimidated by , “drunks, druggies, skateboarders and cyclists”. Beggars were described as “loud, threatening and rude”.

The findings prompted Bolton Council chiefs to took at ways they could make the town centre safer and more appealing, ultimately settling on a PSPO as its preferred option for tackling anti-social behaviour issues.

A PSPO is one of the tools introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 giving local authorities powers to ban certain activities within a specified area, and for its officers to take enforcement action if these are breached.

The order Bolton Council is currently consulting on prohibits begging, unlicensed street-trading and taking intoxicating substances.

It also stops businesses and charities from asking members of the public for money without written permission from the authority.

And the use of skateboards, scooters, bicycles and amplifiers would also be outlawed. While many of the activities covered by the order are illegal, Cllr Nick Peel – the council’s environment chief – says the order will lead to a more “joined up” enforcement approach between local authority officers and the police.

He said: “There are some things the council officers enforce, such as licences, and some things the police such as alcohol and aggressive begging. But this will bring it all together , so it’s a more joined-up pro-active from the council and the police.”

Visitors will be familiar with charity collectors from a host of well-known organisations operating in the town centre.

And as these are understood to be licensed, some question how much of a difference a PSPO will make to an activity many find unwelcome.

But Cllr Peel said that while the council looks to regulate rather than “curtail” charities, the PSPO is more concerned with ensuring those collecting in the town centre are genuine.

He said: “There are smaller charities – or people that just have an idea and don’t understand the rules – but it does concern members of the public that these are genuine. It’s about ensuring these are genuine charities.”

Cllr Peel adds that the proposed PSPO will not penalise the genuinely vulnerable.

He said: said: “Our information on the ground, from ourselves and our voluntary sector partners, is that the vast majority of on-street beggars in Bolton town centre are not homeless. We have got various working arrangements in place to help genuine homeless people.”

Cllr Peel added: “With aggressive beggars we are not talking about rough sleepers, there’s a clear difference between the two categories – that’s really, really important.”

PSPOs have been hailed as a successful antidote to anti-social behaviour in many towns and cities. But critics say that that they criminalise some of society’s most vulnerable people.

Hackney Council withdrew a PSPO it had put in place in 2015 which gave police and council officers powers to hit rough-sleepers with £100 on-the-spot fines.

A social media campaign was launched opposing the order and a petition against it attracted more than 8,000 signatures. The council initially said it would remove the reference to rough sleepers before withdrawing it all together.

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