Merton Council will extend for a further three years a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which has been in place in Merton since September 2020 to address alcohol-related antisocial behaviour (ASB) in the following five wards: Cricket Green, Figges Marsh, Graveney, Lavender Fields and Ravensbury.
The Council also committed at a Cabinet meeting on September 22 to conduct a further consultation on whether to designate Merton a responsible drinking borough, which would see a similar PSPO around alcohol-related ASB in place across the borough.
PSPOs are intended to address ASB and its impact on individuals and communities. They are council led and designed to prohibit certain activities – or to require that people do certain things when engaging in certain activities – within a defined public area.
If an individual is found to be breaching the restrictions of the Mitcham PSPO, Council Enforcement Officers or police officers will request they either stop drinking or surrender the alcohol. Anyone who does not comply with either request will be issued a £100 fixed penalty notice.
We have been working with our partners to increase enforcement against alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in Mitcham town centre. Council Enforcement Officers from Kingdom Security have been tasked to increase their patrols in the town centre to assist in enforcing the PSPO, engaging with residents and ensuring the town centre is a safe and enjoyable place for all.
They report back weekly to the council on their activities to enable us to monitor how well the PSPO is being enforced. The officers also help those for whom alcohol has become a challenge by giving them information about how to access the necessary support with their issues.
Cllr Eleanor Stringer, Cabinet Member for Civic Pride, said: “It’s great that the time frame of this PSPO has been extended, so that residents can fully see its benefits. Recent public consultation has shown firm support continues for its operation and implementation in Mitcham.
“Merton is one of the safest boroughs in London. But we know that anti-social behaviour has an impact on people’s lives and how they feel about their local area, and it’s really important that when we launch policies to help residents, they can clearly see them being properly implemented.
“We will now launch consultations about becoming a responsible drinking borough, and the possible implementation of a PSPO which would see measures introduced across Merton to curb alcohol-related ASB.”
For more information on the PSPO, please see: https://www.merton.gov.uk/communities-and-neighbourhoods/crime-prevention-and-community-safety/Public-Space-Protection-Order