Public Space Protection Orders PSPOs

PSPOs deal with a problem in an area that is harmful to the local community's quality of life, by controlling how people can use that area. This applies to everyone. They make sure the community can use public spaces, safe from anti-social behaviour.

They provide the police and council with more powers to tackle anti-social behaviour.

There are three PSPOs set up in Wakefield district for:

• Wakefield City Centre - street drinking, and urinating and defecating in alleyways - view the map
• Pontefract Town Centre - street drinking, and urinating and defecating in alleyways - view the map
• Castleford Town Centre - street drinking, and urinating and defecating in alleyways - view the map
• Tuscany Way, Normanton - vehicle and anti-social behaviour nuisance.

Anyone found to be breaking the terms of the PSPOs can be issued fine.

The PSPOs we have in place so far have proven to be successful in tackling anti-social behaviour, and we are currently looking at where else in the district we can use them.

Public Spaces Protection Order consultation

The council introduced a PSPO in Wakefield city centre on 24 April 2017, for a period of three years. The order was renewed in April 2020 and again in April 2023.

The order was used to help the police and the council tackle long-standing local anti-social behaviour. Including drinking alcohol, using drugs and urinating in the city centre.

The Council is now proposing to renew this order for a further three years. It is also looking to expand the area of the PSPO and to introduce new rules to deal with a wider range of anti-social behaviours.

A public consultation is open until 13 October