Street Drinking Ban Could Cover Whole of Merton
Consultation being held on expansion of Public Space Protection Order
Restricted zones already apply in five areas in the borough
January 30, 2023
A ban on street drinking could soon cover the every part Merton. The local council is carrying out a public consultation on expanding a public space protection order throughout the whole borough.
The council already has the order in place in five areas of the borough which was recently renewed and due to fun until October 2025. This covers Cricket Green, Figges Marsh, Graveney, Lavender Fields and Ravensbury.
The consultation reads, “After reviewing the available data, the Council is now considering whether a borough wide PSPO is necessary. If it is ultimately decided to make such an Order, it is proposed that the existing PSPO be discharged since it will be replaced by the new order.
“This consultation exercise seeks to ascertain views on the extent of the area covered by the proposed PSPO and on the prohibitions and requirements it would impose. It also seeks to collect more general perception information about Merton.”
If approved, police or council enforcement officers would be able to ask people to stop drinking in public if they were thought to be causing anti-social behaviour. Anyone who does not either stop drinking or hand over the alcohol could be issued a £100 fine.
The existing PSPOs were extended in September 2022, when Councillor Eleanor Stringer, cabinet member for civic pride, said, “Merton is one of the safest boroughs in London. But we know that anti-social behaviour has an impact on people’s lives and how they feel about their local area, and it’s really important that when we launch policies to help residents, they can clearly see them being properly implemented.”
The current consultation will run until 27 February. The 10 week consultation aims to find out whether a borough wide PSPO is wanted by locals or if a “less extensive” PSPO would be better.
Tara O'Connor, Local Democracy Reporter