Cambridge booze ban – barefaced duplicity

Cambridge City council has passed a PSPO banning the drinking of alcohol in public spaces. It’s remarkably unclear how the order will be applied, however. Council leaders and the police insist that it won’t be used against families having a nice picnic, and so on – that it will only be used in cases of anti-social behaviour. And yet, council leaders refused an amendment by the Lib Dems, which would have restricted alcohol confiscation to cases of anti-social behaviour. What is most likely is that the order will be applied against street drinkers, who may or may not be committing anti-social behaviour…

Boston Council oversteps ASB powers

Boston Council has announced a ban on street drinking, with signs announcing that ‘drinking alcohol or carrying it in any open container in this area is PROHIBITED’. Yet these announcements misrepresent the powers provided in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. The powers to make ‘public spaces protection orders’ is extremely broad, but one of the few restrictions is a restriction on a complete ban on alcohol. The Statutory Guidance accompanying the Act states clearly: ‘It is not an offence to drink alcohol in a controlled drinking zone. However, it is an offence to fail to comply with a request to…

Lincoln Council bans ‘intoxicating substances’ in city centre

Lincoln city councillors have voted in favour of a ban on ‘intoxicating substances’. The policy will go before the council’s executive committee for final ratification on 19 January. The law is made under new powers contained in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, specifically the ‘public spaces protection order’ (PSPO) power, which allows local authorities to ban anything which has a ‘detrimental effect’ on the ‘quality of life’ of the locality. The law is intended to prohibit the consumption of so-called ‘legal highs’, but is drafted so broadly as to include all substances which affect the central nervous system, which could…

The war on street drinkers

One of the main uses of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act has been a direct and concerted war on street drinkers. Of course, street drinking has always been frowned upon by some, and for the past few years police have had powers to confiscate open containers of alcohol in certain areas (called ‘Designated Public Spaces’). And yet, street drinking as such was not a crime: police were supposed to only use confiscation powers if a person was behaving in a disorderly manner. They often abused these powers, but there was some form of available challenge. The new ASB Act contains…

Banned in London – Online map

You are in danger of unwittingly committing an offence if you stray into one of 435 special zones in London. The boundaries of these zones are often unmarked and within them many everyday activities are either banned or restricted. A new Manifesto Club online Google map, Banned in London, reveals the 435 special zones that now cover half the area of the UK capital. In these areas, people can be fined or prosecuted for activities that would not otherwise be an offence – including leafleting, protesting, dog walking, gathering in groups, and drinking in public.   Go to the Banned in London…

‘Wet zones’ for drunks – and other zoning of public space

Parks are traditionally mixed use spaces – for kids playing, ball games, drinking or eating, walking dogs…. Of course, sometimes these activities get in the way of each other, but generally people are reasonable and negotiate the space. Now we are seeing more zoning of public space, with specialist dog walking zones (no kids), designated drinking zones (drunks only), children’s play areas (no unaccompanied adults). Towns including Peterborough have proposed designated ‘wet zones’ – ie, areas of the park where street drinkers are allowed to hang out (drinking is banned everywhere else). Meanwhile, parks in Washington State are planning to ban kids…

19 MAY — FREEDOM OF THE STREETS? BOOZE AND THE REGULATION OF THE SOCIAL LIFE — SALON HUDDERSFIELD

19 May – Freedom of the Streets? Booze and the regulation of social life – Salon, Huddersfield – Josie Appleton will speak to the Huddersfield Salon about bans on happy hours and public drinking, and what this means for social life. Partner campaign: Manifesto Club Campaign Against Booze Bans. Time: 6.30 to 8.30 Venue: The Media Centre, Northumberland Street, Huddersfield