Cabinet members at Thanet council have approved the implementation of an antisocial behaviour and alcohol Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in a bid to help tackle the issues the isle has been facing.
The order will introduce targeted restrictions to clamp down on alcohol-related disorder and urination and defecation in public. It will be in force for a period of three years from 1 July.
Measures in the proposed order are:
A year-round blanket ban on drinking alcohol in Margate High Street and Ramsgate High Street.
Other restricted areas (Margate and Cliftonville West, Ramsgate and Broadstairs – as identified on the maps above) will have prohibitions on antisocial behaviour related to alcohol, failing to surrender an alcohol container when required to do so by an authorised officer, and urinating or defecating in any public place other than a serviced public convenience.
ASB hotspot
Cabinet member for communities, Cllr Heather Keen said: “To highlight the scale of the issue, rowdy or drunken conduct accounts for 73% of all law enforcement incidents in the Margate town hotspot, the highest antisocial behaviour hotspot in Kent.
“This behaviour degrades our public areas, disrupts local trade, undermines tourism has clear public health risks.”
She added: “This order gives our enforcement teams and police partners a proportionate, legal toolbox to head off troublesome behaviours early and reclaim a safe welcoming environment for everyone in Thanet.”
A report to councillors said: “There is an ongoing issue of anti-social behaviour in the Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate areas. The causes of this are recognised to be complex and the PSPO is one of the effective tools for dealing with this.
“The council sought to implement a PSPO in 2025. This was subject to the threat of legal challenge and as a result of the potential costs of lengthy litigation, a decision was made not to implement this PSPO.
“Since that time police and the council’s community Safety Team report experiencing increased difficulties in managing anti-social behaviour as it relates to alcohol which continues to be a significant issue in Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate.”
Powers for security teams?
Cllr Tricia Austin suggested that powers could also be extended to the security teams employed by Broadstairs and Ramsgate town councils. This may already be possible as earlier this month Chief Inspector Ian Swallow, District Commander for Thanet, said: “We work really closely with security from Broadstairs and (Ramsgate) councils. Their powers are limited but the PSPO will grant them powers like those of police officers have for preventing that antisocial behaviour.”
Cllr Mike Garner said although there has been trouble over the last few days and a previous weekend, he felt the police response had been much improved compared to last year.
Cllr Kristian Bright agreed but added: “There is still room for improvement particularly from Southeastern and British Transport Police, I think there could be more pro-activity particularly in areas further up the line.”
Council leader Cllr Rick Everitt said there is ongoing dialogue with police about all the antisocial behaviour in the district. He said the order will not affect the arrival of people in the district and their behaviour but it is “a tool in the box and an additional weapon in the armoury.”
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the order.
A town-centre Antisocial Behaviour and Alcohol PSPO was first implemented in 2018. This was renewed in 2021 and a further attempt to renew the order in identical terms was made in 2024. This was the attempt that was subject to the threat of legal challenge.
Do you have the mentioned map, Kathy?
Cheers.
Imagine having to instigate rules for defecating in the streets. Should have been done when they were camped out in Northdown Road of course-a year & a half ago.
The PSPO was of course totally unworkable & collapsed as soon as somebody had the guts to challenge it. One wonders why the police need them to do the job they are paid to do.
Perhaps not renewing the sale of alcohol licenses from shops in the ASB Hot-spot would help – the one opposite the Council Offices is raking it in. He doesn’t care about trouble – only his bank balance. Get tough on these issues – or stop the PR nonsense.
WHY is it the retailers’problem if people get drunk and misbehave?
Yet they moan when the idiots they sell the booze to then kick off outside. Rather like saying people who sell guns & bullets have nothing to do with the people they sell them to then killing people with them.
Maybe we should absolve drug dealers of anybody who dies from the Heroin etc they flog-after all they can’t be held responsible for it being tainted or how much people inject. The gambling companies targeting addicts with free spins etc even after they have said stop to them, should bear zero responsibility for the damage they do either.
Is that like 1st?
WHEN are you all going to realize that one day soon, you’re all going to wake up and find all the doors locked, and the windows barred from the the outside by the current government? Councils building their own SA equivalent and giving them police powers; not allowed to have a drink in the High Street; not allowed to be in certain places at certain times. Is this the UK or Hitler’s Germany? WAKE UP
While I agree with the giving too many powers & the abuse of such-the orders used by Labour & the councils before them couldn’t stand up in court as soon as somebody finally challenged it, if you are or were actually a Doctor as in GP & not just trolling then your attitude towards alcoholism, violence, disorder etc is rather worrying.
If people were just having a drink it wouldn’t be an issue-the issue, this is a constant hardcore of yobbos-mostly arriving from outside Thanet tanked up & the local homeless/alcoholics/drug addicts etc using the pavements as toilets, harassing people etc. These are what these orders should be used for-the prior ones could punish anybody for nonsense such swearing in public etc, this one if it targets the high streets is confined to specific areas & real anti-social behaviour from the same old faces.
The only concern will be they will then move elsewhere & do it there. If the police actually did their job they are paid to do & dealt with these people properly then it wouldn’t be an issue. Like the removing the seating at Cecil Square because of a small number of them-no doubt the same lot causing the high streets issues, so the police instruct TDC to remove the seating to ‘solve the issue’ which it doesn’t as we can see & punish those who need to sit down like the elderly, mums with kids etc.
I’m not sure what you are a doctor of (if anything), but perhaps up your beta blockers for a few weeks. Think of your blood pressure.
Why the police would need a protection order to deal with bad behavior is beyond me, surely they already have the powers to robustly deal with such individuals instantly, the respectful amongst us need never know or be impacted etc.
Exactly-they are useful for kiddies congregating who don’t want to get into trouble. But the people causing most of the issues are mostly older with issues with booze & drugs, not sure why the cops can’t deal with them properly.
Maybe now scared of being accused of police brutality, after they went to Cecil Square one day to deal with them & one got himself ran over running into the road like an idiot back in December-probably why they told TDC to take the seating away not long after.
Ist of July thanet will be a safe beautiful place drunks drugs thugs nee a army to control this mess good luck summer oh and are the road cleaners going to clean up all the smashed bottles and beer cans nappies left on beaches harbour and plastic trash maybe give it to the thugs drug dealers busy time for them !!as communitie service instead of benefits
Open public toilets longer & wouldn’t have to urinate on the streets. Don’t often see police
Ramsgate streets. Don’t see traffic
Wardens either
I feel the same way about this as I feel about illegal boat migrants. We have our own alcohol fuelled anti social idiots of all ages here in Thanet, we don’t want Medways to.
Illegal migrants tend to be better behaved.