Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs)
PSPOs are designed to make public spaces more welcoming.
They aim to deal with a nuisance or problem in a particular area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life.
They do this by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. The order can be used to deal with likely future problems.
We are proposing to introduce a new PSPO at Hylands Park around dog walking. This is to deal with the increase in dog-related attacks and incidents and to make the park more welcoming and safer for all visitors.
Most of the time, park users co-exist harmoniously across the 574 acres, but out-of-control dogs can cause alarm, distress and injuries. Last year, we received 33 reports of dog-on-dog or dog-on-human attacks in Chelmsford.
The PSPO would create special zones where dogs must be kept on a lead, including some of the park’s busiest areas. It would also specify areas where dogs would not be allowed, such as the adventure playground and grazing areas for horses and cattle. These restrictions would apply to around 15% of the estate, leaving more than 480 acres for owners to let their dog off the lead if they wish.
Consultation
The consultation closed on Friday 11 August 2023. We have collated and reviewed the responses, and presented a report to Cabinet on Tuesday 12 September. Cabinet has approved the PSPO, which we amended based on the feedback we received.
The PSPO will now be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 19 October 2023.
You can also read more about the dog walking PSPO on City Life.
Documents
We have covered Chelmsford city centre with a PSPO.
The PSPO means that you will get a fine if you:
- drink alcohol in a way that causes harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance or annoyance to other people
- distribute free literature, unless it is for a religious, political or charitable reason
- fly-post
- put up an advertising board
- behave in a threatening, abusive or aggressive manner
The fine will be up to £1,000.
You can download and view the PSPO for Chelmsford city centre. You can also download a map showing the PSPO area in the city centre.
We have introduced a PSPO to cover certain anti-social behaviour in some city centre car parks.
The PSPO means you will get a fine if you:
- loiter within any stairwell, lift lobby area, parking deck and access or exit route
- loiter by a car park ticket machine
The fine will be up to £1,000.
You can download and view the PSPO for city centre car parks.
We have introduced two PSPOs in relation to the Creamfields Festival at Hylands Park. One covers an area around Hylands Park and the other an area in the City Centre.
The PSPOs will help control anti-social behaviour linked with psychoactive substances (including legal highs) and with ticket touting.
The Hylands Park area PSPO means you will get a fine if you:
- have, or take psychoactive substances
- sell tickets, wristbands, badges, or any other items that would allow unauthorised access to the Creamfields Festival
- gain, or try to gain, unauthorised access to the Creamfields Festival with unauthorised tickets, wristbands, badges or any other item.
The city centre area PSPO means you will get a fine if you:
- sell tickets, wristbands, badges, or any other items that would allow unauthorised access to the Creamfields Festival
You can view:
We have covered the whole the Chelmsford City Council area with a PSPO to prohibit dog fouling.
You will get a fine if you allow a dog to foul on any land the public has access to and don't remove it immediately.
The fine will be up to £1,000.
We have introduced a PSPO to prohibit fly posting and roadside advertisements. This covers the whole Chelmsford City Council area, except the part already covered by the City Centre PSPO.
The PSPO mean you will get a fine if you:
- fly post
- display advertisements on the roadside without the permission of the landowner
The fine will be up to £1,000.
You can download and view the PSPO fly posting and roadside advertisements.
You can view the city centre PSPO on a map to see what areas are covered.