Public Spaces Protection Order - Walsall Town Centre

Walsall Council implemented a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering parts of Walsall Town Centre on 12 October 2023. This is in place to tackle on going anti-social behaviour that was having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those who live and work in the locality. The order is there to ensure the law abiding majority can use and enjoy public spaces safely, free from anti-social behaviour. 

Details of the PSPO

Following a consultation exercise the order was extended for three years, from 12 October 2023 to 23.59 hours to 11 October 2026.

Under the order the following specified things are prohibited in the restricted area:

1. No person shall remain in a shop, betting office, or food outlet so as, without reasonable excuse, to cause harassment, alarm, or distress.
2. No person shall remain at Walsall Market, shown hatched in blue on the map so as, without reasonable excuse, to cause harassment, alarm, or distress.
3. No person without reasonable excuse shall in a public place use a hypodermic needle to inject themselves or another.
4. No person shall, in a public place other than the carriageway of a highway which does not form part of Walsall Market, use a mechanically propelled scooter other than one designed or adapted for use as an invalid carriage.
5. No person shall, without reasonable excuse, throw down, drop or otherwise deposit and leave in any public place a hypodermic needle or other drug paraphernalia.
6. No person shall beg in a manner so as to cause harassment alarm or distress.
7. No person shall remain in a bus station, a bus shelter, at the cenotaph or in the doorway of any building so as, without reasonable excuse, to cause harassment, alarm, or distress.
8. No person shall consume alcohol.
9. No person shall consume any psychoactive substances.
10. No person shall, except in a lavatory, urinate or defecate in a public place.

It is also ordered that the following specified things are done by persons carrying on specified activities in the restricted area.

1. Any person in charge of a dog in a public place must keep the dog on a lead or otherwise under physical control at all times.  The provisions of this Order relating to the control of dogs do not apply to any person who is registered blind in accordance with section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948, to any person who is deaf and in charge of a dog trained by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and to any person suffering a disability and in charge of a dog trained by a charity to assist with them.

The order applies to all public spaces within the area restricted area and for 24 hours a day. Public spaces include the highway, public footpaths and public areas of land including communal car parks or grassed areas.

You can read the PSPO in full below.

Some of these files may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. If you use assistive technology and need a version of a document in a more accessible format, please email the Community Protection Team. We can provide you with an accessible version, or (in the case of maps and drawings) arrange to talk to you to explain the contents.

Breaching the order

Breach of a Public Spaces Protection Order is a criminal offence for which an individual can be summoned to attend court and fined. Fixed Penalty Notices for £100 may also be issued to deal with a breach.