Dacorum Borough Council has introduced two new Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) to control anti-social behaviour and dog activity in the borough.
Cycling and skateboarding in an area of Hemel Town Centre will carry a £75 fine under the PSPO which also bans spitting (including discharge of chewing gum), urinating or defecating in a public place.
The other PSPO promotes responsible dog ownership as it aims to tackle dog related issues that are generated by some dog owners across the borough. This order covers five areas which include failure to pick up after your dog, failure to carry a dog poo bag and failure to keep your dog out of play areas.
Dog owners will be required to keep their dogs three metres away from unfenced play areas in the borough including the park in Gadebridge Park.
Cllr Julie Banks, Portfolio Holder for Community and Regulatory Services said: “Both PSPOs are vitally important to ensure residents can enjoy their community and promote responsible dog ownership. We don’t want to stop people enjoying themselves but we do want to tackle the behaviour of the minority whose behaviour has a detrimental impact on the lives of others.”
PSPOs were introduced in October 2014 by the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and are designed to allow a council to deal with a particular nuisance or problem behaviour in a particular area (a public space) that is damaging to the local community’s quality of life.
Failure to comply with a PSPO could result in a fixed Penalty Notice fine or prosecution. The full text of the PSPOs can be found here: www.dacorum.gov.uk/pspo
Please ensure that if you are visiting Hemel Hempstead town centre or if you are a dog owner in the borough, that you take note of the restrictions set out in the PSPOs.
