Last chance to comment on Chippenham Public Spaces Protection Order consultation

Wiltshire Council is reminding people who want to feedback on the proposed Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Chippenham, to take part before the consultation period ends on 2 March. 

Introduced under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a PSPO will give local authorities powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in the town. The proposed Chippenham order will seek to address the following issues that residents and businesses are experiencing in the town centre and John Coles Park area: 

• Street drinking - prohibiting the drinking of alcohol or having open containers of alcohol. This would enable officers to seize any alcohol found on a person in the specified area.  
• Anti-social behaviour caused by groups of people - enabling officers to ask groups of people exhibiting ASB to disperse and not return to the specified area for up to 48 hours. 
• Issues with individuals under the influence or in possession of controlled drugs or other psychoactive substances 
• People who urinate, defecate or expose their genitalia in a public place.  

If a PSPO is introduced in Chippenham following the consultation, anyone found to be in breach of the Order could be issued with an on-the-spot Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) up to £100.  

Cllr Dominic Muns, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: We've had nearly 70 responses so far to the consultation, with the majority in favour of the PSPO being implemented. Thank you to everyone who has given us their thoughts up until now, however, for more people to have their say, we particularly want to hear from those residents and businesses that are being affected by anti-social behaviour. 

Whilst Wiltshire remains a very safe county, it is still our responsibility as a council to safeguard our residents and businesses from harm. We believe that a PSPO in Chippenham will help reassure our residents and reduce some of the anti-social behaviour that is being seen in the town.   

I'd encourage those who haven't yet done so to go online to read the proposal and have your say.

The consultation runs until 2 March 2025 and all feedback received will be considered before any final decision is made. To find out more about the proposed PSPO for Chippenham and to take part in the consultation, people can visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community-safety-pspo-chippenham. Hard copies of the survey are also available by emailing ASB@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window).