Date issued: 5 December 2018
With preparations in place for the Colchester Christmas Market this Sunday 9 December, Colchester Borough Council has once again called in the services of an external enforcement agency to crackdown on littering and anti-social behaviour.
On Friday 7 and Saturday 8 December, a team of six enforcement officers from Artemis will be in operation in the Town Centre, between 6pm and 3am, to deter all those who breach the town’s Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), by issuing Fixed Penalty Notices.
This is the fifth in a series of enforcement events scheduled to take place over the coming months as the council continues its efforts to re-educate and change people’s behaviour.
Cllr Martin Goss, Colchester Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Waste, Environment & Transportation, said: “We are anticipating thousands of visitors to Colchester this weekend, as the festive celebrations get underway and shoppers flock to our shops and Christmas market. To ensure they can all enjoy the weekend to the full in a safe, welcoming and clean environment, we need to keep up the pressure on littering and anti-social behaviour.”
A PSPO made under powers set down in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 aims to prevent particular activities that reduce the quality of life of people in the local community, by imposing conditions and requirements on the use of that area for everyone using it. In the Town Centre, Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 can be issued for offences including drinking alcohol, taking drugs or urinating in public places, begging for money, fly-posting and causing disturbance or intimidation.
The enhanced enforcement activity supports Colchester Borough Council’s Better Colchester campaign which has seen the council has aside around £2 million to deliver a two-year action plan to make Colchester an even better place to live, work in and visit.
Page last reviewed: 5 December 2018