Sheffield City Council plan to ban begging in the city centre 'set to go out' for public consultation

A public order banning vulnerable people from begging in Sheffield city centre will be approved for consultation by councillors next week, The Star has been told.

A councillor serving on the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee said the draft Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which will cover the entirity of the city centre, "will go to consultation" after the group meet on January 29.

A report produced by council officers on the potential introduction of a PSPO recommended members of the committee approve both the draft order and the progression to the consultation stage with local businesses, stakeholders, the police and community representatives.

The PSPO will grant additional powers to local enforcement to "deal with... particular nuisance or problem" behaviours in a specific area. It is said they are intended to ensure people can "use and enjoy public spaces, safe from anti-social behaviour".

The local authority must also take extra care to ensure the order does not "disproportionately affect vulnerable members of the community" and should "not be used to target a specific group or individual".

Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “On the 29th January the committee will be asked to consider whether anti-social behaviour in the city should be, or needs to be, approached with the additional powers of a city centre PSPO. If the committee gives the go-ahead to consult on this, we would be required to engage with a range of stakeholders on the draft PSPO in line with Government guidance.”

The draft PSPO prepared by council officers includes five conditions of use over the city centre, including street drinking, begging, loitering, drug use and urination and/or defacation.

Restriction two in the draft states: "No person within the restricted area shall make verbal, non-verbal, or written request(s) for money, donations or goods including the placing of hats, clothing, signage, or containers, in a manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance, or annoyance."

It is said the purpose of the restriction is to "encourage vulnerable people to access support services to change behaviour and address underlying or unmet need".

In order for intervention from enforcement agencies to take place, the group or individual's behaviours must meet a legal "test", including:

• have, or be likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality;
• is, or is likely to be, persistent or continuing in nature;
• is, or is likely to be, unreasonable; and
• justifies the restrictions imposed.

According to the council report, the area covered by the PSPO will be within a boundary set by the outer edge of the inner ring road, plus Sheffield Station and all of South Street Park.

The report also acknowledges the possibility the order would simply move the "nuisance or problem" behaviours to other areas - namely Kelham Island, Little Sheffield, Burngreave and Ecclesall Road, where the report states the council is "already aware" of some anti-social behaviour issues affecting those areas.

Enforcement within the PSPO area is said to involve identifying and addressing the support needs of people breaching the draft restrictions and fixed penality notices will be used, but not a default response. Outside of the PSPO area, normal enforcement including Criminal Behaviour Orders and Civil Injunctions (which can be applied to children as young as 10) will be used.