Public Spaces Protection Order
Wandsworth Council has a borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in place from October 2023 to cover alcohol related anti-social behaviour, Novel Psychoactive Substances and dog control.
A PSPO is a legal Order introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to tackle anti-social behaviour in a flexible and responsive way by a local authority.
When a PSPO is in place it prohibits specific activity within a defined area and is intended to deal with specific problems that are detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, such as anti-social behaviour.
A PSPO enables the Council and Police to issue fines and other sanctions against individuals breaching the conditions of the Order when it is proportionate and appropriate.
A breach of a PSPO is a criminal offence.
PSPO conditions
1. Anti-social behaviour caused by drinking alcohol in a public space
Offence: No person shall drink alcohol in the restricted areas (other than on premises authorised under the Licensing Act 2003) or after having been required to stop drinking alcohol or hand over any containers (sealed or unsealed) which are believed to contain alcohol, when required to do so by a police officer or authorised officer, in order to prevent public nuisance or disorder, who reasonably believes that the person has consumed, is consuming or intends to consume alcohol unless that person has a reasonable excuse for failing to do so.
2. Use and possession of Novel Psychoactive Substances in a public space (chemical substances which produce similar effects to illegal drugs).
Offence: No person within the restricted areas shall Ingest, inhale, inject, smoke, possess or otherwise use intoxicating substances. Sell or supply intoxicating substances.
3. Dog control in all public areas, including public highways and pavements and parks, commons, open spaces and cemeteries
- Fouling of land by dogs - an offence is committed when the person in charge of a dog fails to remove faeces deposited by the dog. This will apply borough wide, with the exception of council housing estates which are subject to Housing specific no dog fouling bye laws.
- Areas where dogs are required to be on leads - an offence is committed when the person in charge of a dog fails to keep the dog on a lead. This will apply on all public highways including pavements, tree bases, grass verges, grass amenity areas adjacent to highways and road gutters, and will also apply to the car parks and gardens around the Town Hall, cemeteries, certain small parks and open spaces and specific areas within parks and open spaces such as car parks and café outdoor eating areas.
- The requirement for a dog to be put on a lead at the direction of an authorised person - an offence is committed when the person in charge of a dog fails to put and keep the dog on a lead when instructed to do so by a Parks Police or Dog Control Officer or other authorised person within a park or open space, and car parks and gardens around the Town Hall, and cemeteries. Enforcement in this area will be both pragmatic and appropriate.
- The exclusion of dogs from specified areas - an offence is committed when the person in charge of a dog takes it onto or permits it to enter or remain in an area where dogs are excluded. This will apply to the grounds around the Leisure Sports centres, playing fields, certain small parks and open spaces and to children's playgrounds, sports facilities, lakes, ponds, water features within parks and open spaces.
- The maximum number of dogs that an individual may take onto specified areas - it will be an offence to take more than 4 dogs at any one time into the areas covered by the PSPO with the exception of licensed multiple dog walkers in certain parks and open spaces.
View the sealed PSPO order.
Bye-laws relating to council housing estates and Parks and Open Spaces remain unchanged.
View laws governing the use of our parks, gardens and open spaces.
Area the PSPO covers
The Council has made a PSPO covering all public spaces in the borough. The definition of public space is wide and includes any place to which the public or a section of the public has access on payment or otherwise.
View a borough-wide map of the PSPO.
View a map of all our parks and open spaces that the dog control orders will apply to.
Breach of a PSPO
Breaching a PSPO without a reasonable excuse is a criminal offence and can be dealt with at a magistrate’s court as a summary offence with a maximum fine of £500 for breaches related to anti-social behaviour involving alcohol and £1,000 for breaches related to consuming, possessing, or selling intoxicating substances or dog controls.
Borough-wide PSPO map
View a borough-wide map of the PSPO.