Southampton Cabinet to Decide on New Public Spaces Protection Orders Targeting Anti-Social Behaviour

Southampton City Council’s Cabinet is set to decide tomorrow, Tuesday 25 November, whether to approve a new series of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) aimed at tackling street drinking, aggressive begging, and drug or psychoactive substance use in five areas across the city.

If approved, the measures would remain in place for three years, running until September 2028, replacing earlier PSPOs that expired in April this year. The proposed zones cover Shirley, Portswood, Bitterne, the City Centre, and Woolston. Enforcement would be led by Hampshire Constabulary, with the council also authorised to appoint additional officers to support the effort.

The proposals follow a comprehensive public consultation that attracted 356 responses, with 95% coming from city residents. Support for new restrictions was overwhelming: 93% backed controls on street drinking, while 97% supported action to curb aggressive begging and drug use.

The council says the findings reflect the concerns raised in the city’s Safe City Survey, where residents identified anti-social behaviour (69%), drug use (65%), youth crime (59%), aggressive begging (50%), and alcohol-related crime (50%) as key issues. Council data also shows that 58% of drug, public order, and anti-social behaviour offences already take place within existing PSPO areas.

Councillor Toqeer Kataria, Cabinet Member for Communities and Safer City, said the measures were an important step in delivering on the priorities laid out in the council’s Corporate Plan.
“As a council, we are committed to creating a Safer Southampton. This is one of the key priorities within our Corporate Plan,” the councillor said. “Our residents told us in our Safe City Survey that anti-social behaviour is a concern, and I hope that my Cabinet colleagues will approve these new PSPOs. We are taking a balanced approach, combining enforcement with support for vulnerable individuals.”

The council emphasised that while enforcement will remain a key tool, the wider aim is to connect individuals affected by substance misuse or homelessness with appropriate support services. Fixed penalty notices may be issued under the new orders, but the authority says education and intervention remain central to its approach.

If approved, new signage outlining the restrictions will be installed across the five designated localities, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Safer Streets Fund.

The initiative forms part of the broader Safe City Strategy 2022–2027, which focuses on three core objectives: keeping people safe from harm, preventing and reducing offending, and building stronger communities. The work is delivered through the Safe City Partnership, a statutory multi-agency collaboration led by Southampton City Council, Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service, and the NHS.

The council says it will continue to work closely with its partners to monitor the impact of the proposed PSPOs to ensure Southampton remains “a safe and welcoming city for all.”