Car cruising set to be banned on major road

Drivers participating in car cruising on the A34 in Staffordshire could face a fine

Racing meets and car cruising are set to be banned along a major road after plans were approved by the local authority.

Stafford Borough Council has given the green light to the introduction of a public space protection order (PSPO) on the A34.

The order will cover the road north of Stafford, from junction 14 of the M6 to the boundary with Stoke-on-Trent at Trentham.

Anyone participating in or promoting car cruising could be fined £100, reduced to £75 if paid within 10 days, or receive a fine of £1,000 if convicted at court.

It has yet to be decided when the PSPO will come into force but it will be in place for three years, according to a council report.

It came after there were more than 40 complaints in six months about car meets on the A34 between Trentham and Redhill.

A public consultation on the plans received 186 responses, of which 10 opposed the introduction of the order, citing the cost and arguing that “legitimate car meets” would be affected.

During Thursday’s meeting of Stafford Borough Council’s cabinet, councillor Jill Hood said the number of responses to the consultation was “considerable” and described car cruising as an “absolute nuisance”.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]