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Folkestone and Hythe council puts in restrictions on homeless sleepers, beggars and buskers

A council hopes to introduce a raft of new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour – such as tighter restrictions on homeless sleeping, begging and busking.

Folkestone and Hythe District Council is also looking to limit the amount of charity fundraisers, or chuggers, who operate in the district.

Plans for the new Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) - due out for public consultation - comes after complaints surrounding nuisance fundraisers and market stallholders.

Folkestone town centre
Folkestone town centre

Intended to also clampdown on street drinking, drug taking and defecating in public, the orders could be introduced across seven areas throughout the district by May next year.

Currently, the council has introduced one PSPO to tackle street drinking, street sleeping, begging and the use of legal highs in Folkestone and parts of Sandgate.

The authority this week revealed plans for the tougher measures, which could be rolled out across most of the district, and are due to go before council chiefs next week.

They are:

Measure 1 – Control of alcohol consumption in a public place: Hythe (High Street and Oaklands), Dymchurch and New Romney.

Measure 2 – No use of intoxicating substances: Folkestone, Hythe, Dymchurch, New Romney, Cheriton, Seabrook, Sandgate.

Measure 3 – No urinating, spitting or defecating: Folkestone, Hythe, Dymchurch, New Romney, Cheriton and parts of Seabrook and Sandgate.

A sign already in place
A sign already in place

Measure 4 – No begging: Already in place in Folkestone, Cheriton, parts of Sandgate and Seabrook, the council proposes to extend the measure to cover Hythe, Dymchurch and New Romney.

Measure 5 – Deterring inconsiderate buskers: To require buskers and street entertainers to have council permission to perform in certain areas within the district.

Measure 6 – Deterring inconsiderate chuggers: To limit the number of chuggers in certain areas of the district at any one time and address any inconsiderate behaviour.

Measure 7 – No unauthorised camping: Making it an offence to sleep in a temporary structure or vehicle in the whole of Folkestone, Hythe, Dymchurch, New Romney, Cheriton and parts of Seabrook and Sandgate.

The scheme’s introduction would make it an offence for anyone to continue acting in an anti-social manner after receiving a warning from a police or council officer, and could carry a maximum £1,000 fine.

Hythe town centre
Hythe town centre

Council papers say: “We currently have one PSPO in the district to address antisocial behaviour.

“It was introduced to address the issues of drinking in an open space, begging and sleeping in an open space.

“In response to a range of concerns that have been raised by local residents and businesses, we are now proposing to use PSPOs more widely across the district.”

Next Wednesday, officers are set to recommend the Overview and Scrutiny Committee approves a decision to send the new measures out to public consultation. The authority hopes to have the new signage in place in May when enforcement would also begin.

If the consultation goes live you will be able to participate via Folkestone-hythe.gov.uk

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