Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are designed to prevent individuals or groups committing anti-social behaviour (ASB) in public spaces. PSPOs are very common across England & Wales, especially in town centre areas.
Stockton-on-Tees has had one in place since 2023, covering the town centre areas of Stockton and Norton. PSPOs only last 3 years, and so the current Order is due to expire in April 2026. PSPOs are made by local authorities under powers conferred to them by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
As per the request from the Council’s Community Safety Select Committee this year, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has evaluated the current Order, its conditions and implementation procedures, and between 08/12/25 and 09/01/26 conducted a public consultation on the matter.
The revised PSPO sees the Order split in two, with different conditions covering Norton and Stockton Town Centres. This is because legally, the Council must be able to evidence that the activities we are seeking to restrict:
• Have, or are likely to have, a detrimental effect on those in the locality, and that such activities are, or are likely to be, of a persistent or continuing nature, and
• are, or are likely to be, considered unreasonable, and therefore justify the restrictions proposed (i.e. the conditions of the Order).
The revised Orders have been strengthened in line with our community safety initiative, Operation Shield, implemented with partner agencies to make our town centre a welcoming and safe place to visit, work, and live. The proposed Order will run in tandem with the operation and the recently introduced Reducing the Strength Scheme.
As well as strengthening the current conditions of the Order, we are also revising our enforcement policy, to ensure the implementation of the new PSPO is effective. Although the Council will lead on the implementation of PSPOs, the enforcement of any new Order will now be shared between the Council and Cleveland Police.
The proposed Stockton Town Centre PSPO 2026 will run from April 2026 to April 2029. Note that the zone it applies to has been altered – you can find the proposed zone within the draft Order. The draft Order includes prohibitions and requirements, which can be summarised as below:
• Street drinking: the consumption of alcohol will be prohibited within the PSPO zone, and the Council’s Civic Enforcement Team will deploy to all calls regarding alleged street drinking in the area. However, as per Section 63 of the Act, a breach of PSPO only occurs if the drinker either fails (i) to comply with a request by an officer not to consume alcohol or (ii) to surrender alcohol, or what is reasonably believed to be alcohol or a container for alcohol. A list of exemptions to this condition can be found within the draft Order (e.g. consumption within licensed event spaces, etc.).
• Begging: where a person makes any verbal, non-verbal or written request for money, donations or goods, including the placing of hats, clothing or containers, so as to cause or is likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress to any person.
• Loitering and causing ASB: where a person without reasonable excuse, loiters in a manner causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress, to any person – this could apply in circumstances where a person occupies and obstructs a High Street doorway, refuses to move, and also refuses help & support from local services. Another example of this conduct could be where groups of people loiter in an intoxicated state and act disorderly (e.g. swearing, or being threatening and intimidating), causing other people to feel harassed, alarmed, or distressed.
• Driving of vehicles in an anti-social manner: the driving of any mechanically propelled vehicle, moped, quad bike, off-road bike, e-scooter, or e-bike, in an anti-social manner, where such manner means that their conduct has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress, to any other person.
• A prohibition in relation to urinating & defecating in the street.
• A requirement for a person to move their motorhome or other such vehicle or temporary structure, like a tent, if an officer believes the vehicle or structure is to be used for an overnight stay in a public place. This will help us address illegal or unauthorised occupations of public land.
• A requirement for a person to place their dog on a lead, except for when a dog is exercising in Trinity Gardens.
• A requirement for a person to pick up dog foul.
• A requirement for a person to provide their personal details to an officer when they have breached the Order or are causing ASB.
• A requirement to disperse from the PSPO zone when directed to leave by an officer, where the officer believes the individual is causing or is likely to cause ASB, or has broken any of the conditions of the PSPO, in the PSPO zone.
The proposed Norton Town Centre PSPO 2026, will run from April 2026 to April 2029. Note that the zone it applies to has been altered – you can find the proposed zone within the draft Order. This Order will include the following prohibitions or requirements:
• Street drinking: the consumption of alcohol is prohibited within the PSPO zone, and the Civic Enforcement Team will be expected to deploy to all calls regarding alleged street drinking. However, as per s63 of the Act, a breach of PSPO only occurs if the drinker either fails (i) to comply with a request by an officer not to consume alcohol or (ii) to surrender alcohol, or what is reasonably believed to be alcohol or a container for alcohol. A list of exemptions to this condition can be found within the Order (e.g. the consumption within licensed event spaces, etc.).
• Begging: where a person makes any verbal, non-verbal or written request for money, donations or goods, including the placing of hats, clothing or containers, so as to cause or is likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress to any person.
• Loitering and causing ASB: where a person without reasonable excuse, loiters in a manner causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress, to any person – this could apply in circumstances where a person occupies and obstructs a High Street doorway, refuses to move, and also refuses help & support from local services. Another example of this conduct could be where groups of people loiter in an intoxicated state and act disorderly (e.g. swearing, or being threatening and intimidating), causing other people to feel harassed, alarmed, or distressed.
• Driving of vehicles in an anti-social manner: the riding/driving of any bicycle or mechanically propelled vehicle, moped, quad bike, off-road bike, e-scooter, or e-bike, in an anti-social manner, where such manner means that their conduct has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress, to any other person.
• A requirement for a person to provide their personal details to an officer when they have breached the Order or are causing ASB.
• A requirement to disperse from the PSPO zone when directed to leave by an officer, where the officer believes the individual is causing or is likely to cause ASB, or has broken any of the conditions of the PSPO, in the PSPO zone.
Decision type: Key
Reason Key: Affects more than 1 ward;
Decision status: For Determination
Notice of proposed decision first published: 16/12/2025
Decision Type: Executive (Cabinet);
Decision due: 12 Mar 2026 by Cabinet
Lead member: Cabinet Member for Access, Communities and Community Safety
Lead director: Director of Adults Health and Wellbeing
Department: Adults Health and Wellbeing
Contact: Adam Bateman, Problem Solving & Partnerships Officer Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected].
Consultees
Countless national & regional PSPO examples were reviewed in the initial first design phases of the revised drafts – and as part of the evaluation into the 2023 Order – 9 local authorities were directly contacted by the Council’s Community Safety Dept. in 2025 (a further regional local authority was contacted in 2026), where in-depth discussions took place over the principles and enforcement of PSPOs, in an exercise in learning, development, and best practice sharing. SBC Community Safety has kept in contact with four of those other LAs throughout this process, as to continue sharing best practice and aid in SBC’s development of the revised Order and accompanying implementation strategy/enforcement policy. Once the design of the drafts was completed following discussions between SBC Community Safety & SBC’s legal service, and preliminary talks had occurred with Cleveland Police, partner agencies to the Council, internal & external stakeholders, elected members, and key stakeholders, were all consulted in what became the second phase of the design of the 2026 draft proposals. As part of this development, SBC Community Safety consulted with:
• The Chief Constable of Cleveland Police (statutory requirement) & Stockton Police.
• The Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (statutory requirement).
• Several town centre businesses in both Stockton and Norton.
• Internal SBC departments relevant to this workstream.
• The Safer Stockton Partnership (SSP); the local community safety partnership (CSP).
• Local Members of Parliament and local elected members (Councillors).
• Local landowners whose land is covered by the Orders (statutory requirement).
• Local support & recovery services engaged with the Operation Shield programme.
A Public Consultation then occurred from 08/12/2025 to 09/01/2026, with 528 either full or partial responses received. The consultation showed overwhelming support for the proposals.
Making Representations: Adam.Bateman@Stockton.gov.uk