Opposition grows to scrapping town centre Public Space Protection Order

The main PSPO sign in Rhosddu Park was taken down without comment but the smaller signs are still in place.

Opposition to proposed scrapping the Public Space Protection Order in Wrexham town centre is growing.

Next month’s Executive Board is being recommended to scrap the Order, which expires on July 31st after being in force for three years.

Councillor Marc Jones is Plaid Cymru’s councillor for Grosvenor ward, which covers a large part of the town centre as well as Rhosddu. He said: 

“The original PSPO wasn’t enforced properly by the council and was widely seen as ineffective in dealing with anti-social behaviour. But that’s not a reason to scrap it - we need to make sure it's used effectively. 

“As the councillor who hears daily from local residents and businesses trying to make a living in the town centre, I believe abandoning the PSPO sends out the wrong signals both to the small minority engaged in anti-social behaviour and the vast majority of frustrated residents.

“That’s why Rhosddu Community Council has written to oppose the removal of the PSPO and indeed wants it extended to include Rhosddu Park and cemetery. That's a move I proposed at last week's community council meeting and it was unanimously supported. 

"The previous PSPO covering the park and cemetery expired in March and it’s disappointing that the county borough council failed to consult with the community and its elected representatives about this decision.

“The Executive Board has a simple decision to make next month. Does it provide additional support and protection for its own staff, local residents and small businesses in tackling anti-social behaviour or does it give up the ghost?

“PSPOs in themselves are not the solution, they’re a reaction to a problem. But they can be a useful tool in dealing with specific circumstances and frontline staff need to have the options the PSPO offers to deal with specific problems.
“If any Executive Board member wants to understand my community’s frustration at this ongoing situation, I’d welcome them to visit my ward at anytime. I’m sure a number of town centre traders could also explain the impact this anti-social behaviour is having on their businesses.”

Below is the letter from Rhosddu CC:

I understand that the Executive Board is considering the renewal of the PSPOs in the Town Centre and on locations off Rhosddu Road in Wrexham.
First of all, I would say that it is disappointing that the Rhosddu Community Council has not been consulted on such an important issue.
Since the introduction of the PSPOs the situation improved. The Bus Station and King Street became usable without fear by the general public, and no longer were drunks and drug addicts on the Children's Play Equipment on the John Jones Playground on Rhosddu Road, for example.

You will be aware that an increased Drugs Centre is being established by the Health Board at the Elms on Rhosddu Road. Has this additional facility, and the problems it will bring, been taken into account when considering the future of PSPOs?
You will be aware that Coleg Cambria is close to The Elms and the PSPO areas. Has the potential detrimental effects on these young people been taken into account in considering whether or not to renew the PSPOs? 

Rhosddu Community Council wants a comprehensive approach to the problem of ASB and illicit drugs in our community. It is frustrated and disappointed that, despite the multitude of agencies and public bodies that exist to deal with the matter, the issue is intensifying rather than reducing.  

Rhosddu and the Grosvenor ward in particular has more than its share of the problem. This is leading to anxiety, stress and community anger from local residents towards this vulnerable group of people, which is not helping either side.
We believe that non-renewal of the PSPO in Rhosddu was a mistake. Only last month. It meant that a young man in a tent went for four weeks without being moved on from a Wrexham Council Playing Field, because the powers of the Council to take action under the PSPO were not available, and similar problems are bound to arise over the summer if nothing is done to replace the PSPO in Rhosddu and the town centre. 

I understand that the removal of the PSPO is opposed by all town-centre councillors as well as the Town Centre Management Team who have to deal on a daily basis with the problems they encounter. A beefed-up PSPO should be seen as a complementary tool to tackle ASB alongside a number of other interventions. We recognise that a PSPO alone is not an answer to the problem but in some cases will assist in ensuring the council's officers can help individuals access the right services. 

We therefore call on the Executive Board to approve the renewal of the town centre PSPO and for its boundaries to be extended to cover the now defunct Rhosddu PSPO. We call on the council and police to work together to ensure this is adequately enforced for the community's benefit, both residents and local businesses. Both have been badly affected by the ASB of a small minority. Removing the PSPO will mean town-centre wardens will have no powers to deal with ASB and the recent removal of town centre PCSOs is also noted as having a detrimental effect on perceptions of community safety. 

Nigel Hodges
CLERK
Rhosddu Community Council