Lincoln car parks anti-social behaviour orders set to continue

A council meeting will discuss the renewal of existing PSPOs at Lucy Tower, Broadgate and Lincoln Central car parks

Measures to tackle anti-social behaviour at multi-storey car parks in Lincoln look set to be renewed.

In 2020, Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) were put in place at Lucy Tower, Broadgate and Lincoln Central multi-storeys.

Anti-social behaviour at those sites had since reduced, City of Lincoln Council said.

A meeting next week would decide if the orders should be kept in place for a further period, the authority said.

The PSPOs ban people from smoking or loitering in the car parks, and they prohibit public urination.

They also mean activities such as ingesting, inhaling, injecting, smoking or using an intoxicating substance in the restricted areas are prohibited.

Meanwhile, any activity likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any other person is banned in the sites covered by the PSPOs.

'Safe as possible'

A spokesperson for the council said prior to the orders being introduced, the council had received a "significant number of complaints about anti-social behaviour taking place in the car parks".

However, Councillor Sue Burke, portfolio holder for reducing inequality, said introducing the PSPOs had "aided Lincolnshire Police and the council in dealing with individuals whose behaviour had a detrimental effect on other people's quality of life".

"It is really important for residents, businesses and visitors to Lincoln that we keep these car parks as safe as possible. I look forward to discussing this further with colleagues," she added.

Ben Jackson, the authority's public protection and anti-social behaviour manager, said he hoped the orders would go on "so we can continue to keep the car parks free from the anti-social behaviour they were subjected to prior to the original implementation".