Kirklees Council agrees to ban bird feeding, begging and loitering in town centres

On April 8, Kirklees Council’s cabinet met following a review of the borough’s Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), and agreed some changes.

The orders give councils a wide range of powers to tackle antisocial behaviour and other detrimental activities in certain areas, and a breach can lead to a fine or prosecution.

Nine PSPOs were already in place to address: dog fouling; the control of fires and barbecues; control of fireworks, sky lanterns and balloons; means of picking up after your dog; dogs on lead on request, dogs to be on leads at all times; dog exclusion areas; public urination and defecation; and street drinking.

However, with the approval, some amendments to the existing orders can now be made and a new one introduced.

The meeting’s report says a single PSPO covering five Kirklees towns would be rolled out, but the meeting heard this will extend to seven towns: Batley, Dewsbury, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Ravensthope, Slaithwaite and Marsden.

This will prohibit street drinking, bird feeding, and loitering, nuisance behaviour and temporary structures such as tents being placed in town centres.

On top of this, the existing PSPOs relating to dogs will be merged into one, and a borough-wide order will be introduced to address the issue of nuisance vehicles, particularly the antisocial use of motorbikes.

The council says it will be taking a “graduated” approach to enforcement, with attempts to educate those in breach of a PSPO to be made in the first instance.

The local authority has two dedicated PSPO officers covering the whole of the borough who will work alongside Huddersfield BID and West Yorkshire Police.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways, Councillor Munir Ahmed, said the PSPOs would allow for “greater flexibility” to address the “changing nature” of antisocial behaviour in Kirklees.

He added: “The Public Space Protection Orders are a crucial tool in the council and partners regulatory tool box to enhance and make safe some of our public spaces.

“They aim to address anti-social behaviour which the public and partners tell us causes a real detriment to quality of life and enjoyment of open spaces.”

Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Moses Crook, welcomed the additional powers, particularly in his rural ward of Holme Valley South. He spoke of the issues with the unlawful use of motorbikes on rural lanes and active travel footpath routes.

Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Councillor Viv Kendrick wanted to know if there were plans to extend the PSPOs to other areas, highlighting some concerns in her ward, like motorbikes using the Spen Valley greenway, groups binge drinking in Firth Park and begging.

In response, Councillor Ahmed explained the local authority will continue to review the orders and ensure that there is a comprehensive range of measures to cover the whole of Kirklees.