A PROTECTION order that gives the council and police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour could become borough-wide.

Slough currently has a public space protection order (PSPO) in place in nine areas, including the town centre, since 2017 that prohibits street drinking and refusing to surrender alcohol when requested.

The PSPO gives Thames Valley Police officers the discretion to issue-on-the spot fines of up to £100 or take rulebreakers to court where repeated or serious breachers could be landed a fine of up to £1,000.

Slough Observer: The areas outlined in red is where the 2017 PSPO is currently enforcedThe areas outlined in red is where the 2017 PSPO is currently enforced

The council is now eyeing to expand this order and make it borough-wide for a period of three years. Places such as Colnbrook with Poyle and Cippenham do not have this in place.

Residents can have their say on this proposal via an eight-week consultation, which has now gone live.

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The proposed order will prohibit the following activities:

  • Continuing to drink alcohol or consume intoxicating substances when required to stop doing so by a police officer or police community support officer
  • Not surrendering any alcohol or intoxicating substances in their possession when required to do so by a police officer or police community support officer.

Feedback will be accumulated and be considered for the final PSPO proposal, which will then go to cabinet for approval.

Councillor Beni Bains (Lab: Upton), lead member for regulation and public protection, said expanding it to cover Slough in its entirety will make it “easier” to enforce and target anti-social behaviour.

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“It will be part of a toolkit to tackle lower-level behaviour which has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of residents,” he said.

The PSPO’s online documents can be found here: https://www.slough.gov.uk/consultations

Views must be submitted by July 8. Residents can email reportASB@slough.gov.uk with the subject ‘Borough-wide PSPO consultation’. You can also write to “Borough-wide PSPO consultation”, Place and Regulation, Observatory House, Windsor Road, Slough, SL1 2EL.