BASILDON Council has imposed a three-year borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to crack down in anti-social behaviour.

A PSPO is a legal order to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) covering specific restricted areas within the borough such as parks and town centres, and the breaching of it is a criminal offence which can be subject to a fine on prosecution (up to £1,000).

The terms of the order include banning car cruising in Festival Leisure Park, Mayflower Retail Park, and Pitsea Town Centre, as well as the use of any motor vehicle without reasonable excuse or the express permission of the council in 15 of the borough's parks including Gloucester Park, Lake Meadows, and Northlands Park.

The PSPO also bans the possession of any open container of alcohol in Basildon and Pitsea town centres and the consumption of alcohol anywhere in the borough where it is causing ASB. It will also prohibit the use of pony and traps in Cranfield Park, Northlands Park, and Wickford Barn Hall Recreation Ground.

Chair of Safer Basildon and Chief Executive of Basildon Council Scott Logan said: "The PSPO will provide additional powers to authorised officers to support our partners such as Essex Police in tackling issues of ASB, and will help to make our public spaces in Basildon such as our parks, open spaces, and town centres places for everyone to enjoy safely.

"Thank you to everyone that shared their views as part of the consultation, and with 92% of respondents being in support of banning each aspect of the PSPO it shows that residents are supportive of our efforts to tackle the behaviour we don't want to see in Basildon."

The PSPO is in place as of 1 April 2022 and will last for three years until 31 March 2025, being reviewed annually.

Signage in restricted areas will be installed in the coming weeks and officers will be engaging with residents and users of these public spaces to provide education and awareness of the PSPO.

Further information, including the full order and restricted areas can be found at: https://www.basildon.gov.uk/PSPO