Aylesbury Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order consultation 2025

Closed 16 Feb 2025

Opened 6 Jan 2025

Contact

Community Safety Team

anti-social-behaviour@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Feedback updated 8 Oct 2025

We asked

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are aimed at ensuring public spaces can be enjoyed free from anti-social behaviour. They provide us with legal powers to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a defined area.  

We asked for your views on whether the existing PSPO in Aylesbury Town Centre should be expired and a new one introduced.  

The consultation ran from 6 January to 16 February 2025. 

You said

We received 35 online responses to the consultation. 

On the proposal to expire the current order, of the 35 who responded: 

  • 24 agreed; 6 disagreed; 5 didn’t know 

On the proposed activities associated with anti-social behaviours to be included in a new order, of the 35 who responded: 

  • consuming alcohol or being in possession of an open container of alcohol 
    • 33 agreed; 1 disagreed; 1 didn’t know 
  • public urination and defecation 
    • 34 agreed; 1 disagreed; 0 didn’t know 
  • acting in a manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress 
    • 34 agreed; 1 disagreed; 0 didn’t know 
  • begging or appearing to be begging or any public performance for the purpose of begging 
    • 31 agreed; 3 disagreed; 1 didn’t know 
  • failure of owner or person in control to remove dog faeces 
    • 31 agreed; 2 disagreed; 2 didn’t know 
  • placing of temporary structures for the purpose of habitation 
    • 28 agreed; 4 disagreed; 3 didn’t know 

Respondents, including Aylesbury Town Council, suggested the following areas should also included in the PSPO: 

  • Vale Park as nuisance activities in the town centre often move into the park 
  • Jansel Square 

It was suggested the following activities are removed as they are covered by other legal orders or are subjective and therefore not easily enforced: 

  • failure of owner or person in control to remove dog faeces 
  • parking without permission or authority on the public realm of Kingsbury and Market Square 
  • acting in a manner that causes of is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress 

It was suggested the following activity be included in the PSPO as it causes a detrimental impact in the town centre: 

  • failure to remove temporary structures such as tents, caravans or vehicles, for the purpose of overnight stays when instructed by an officer 

More information about the consultation responses. 

We did

The consultation feedback was considered and discussed with Thames Valley Police. As a result: 

  • Vale Park was added to the PSPO 
  • Jansel Square was not added due to the distance from the town centre and as there is insufficient evidence to support a PSPO at this time 
  • the activities included in the new order were updated to: 
    • consuming alcohol or being in possession of an open container of alcohol  
    • public urination or defecation  
    • begging or appearing to be begging or any public performance for the purpose of begging 
      • the act of begging is deemed as either approaching people for money, or being stationary and asking directly for money or positioned on the floor to invite the offer of money or goods  
    • failing to remove at the direction of a Buckinghamshire Council authorised officer, Police Officer or Police Community Support Officer any temporary structure, tent, caravan, or vehicle for the purpose of an overnight stay or stays 

On 25 September 2025, the Leader of Buckinghamshire Council agreed to discharge the Aylesbury Town Centre PSPO and replace it with Buckinghamshire Council, Aylesbury Town Centre and Vale Park PSPO. 

Buckinghamshire Council, Aylesbury Town Centre and Vale Park PSPO  takes effect from 3 October 2025. 

Overview

Buckinghamshire Council logo

We are reviewing all Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) across Buckinghamshire. 

We want to hear your views on our proposal to: 

  • expire the existing Aylesbury Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order, introduced by Aylesbury Vale District Council 
  • introduce a new Buckinghamshire Council, Aylesbury Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order 

We have a key role to play in helping make local places safe to live, visit and work in. Tackling anti-social behaviour continues to be a high priority for us and our partners across the county. 

Public Spaces Protection Orders are aimed at ensuring public spaces can be enjoyed free from anti-social behaviour. They provide us with legal powers to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a defined area. 

It is key that we address and reduce these issues from occurring, by consulting with members of the public and other key stakeholders, in order to focus on areas of concern. 

We want to hear from those who live, work in or visit Aylesbury Town Centre, and representatives of organisations in Aylesbury. 

What is a PSPO?

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are intended to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life. This is achieved by imposing conditions on the use of that area, which apply to everyone.

Councils can use PSPOs to prohibit specified activities, and / or require certain things to be done by people engaged in particular activities, within a defined public area.

A single PSPO can be used to target a range of different anti-social behaviour issues. A PSPO can last for up to three years, after which it must be reviewed.

What can a PSPO be used for?

PSPOs can be used to restrict a broad range of activities.

Under section 59 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, local authorities must be satisfied on reasonable grounds that the activity subject to an Order:

  • has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality (or it is likely that activities will take place and have such an effect)
  • is (or is likely to be) persistent or continuing in nature
  • is (or is likely to be) unreasonable
  • justifies the restrictions being imposed

How are PSPOs are enforced?

Authorised officers from Buckinghamshire Council and the Police will be able to enforce the restrictions and requirements of a PSPO. This can include issuing Fixed Penalty Notices.

The Fixed Penalty Notice for a breach of a PSPO is £60 if paid within 10 days, and £100 if paid within 14 days.

Aylesbury Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) 

What we are proposing  

The Aylesbury Town Centre PSPO was introduced on 11 November 2016, by Aylesbury Vale District Council, to address anti-social behaviour in the public place.  The PSPO expires on 10 October 2025. 

We are proposing to: 

We have engaged with local stakeholders, community boards, town and parish councils, Thames Valley Police, Council services, and members of the business community to develop the proposed PSPO. 

The proposed PSPO will prohibit the following activities associated with anti-social behaviours: 

  • consuming alcohol or being in possession of an open container of alcohol 
  • public urination or defecation  
  • acting in a manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress 
  • begging or appearing to be begging or any public performance for the purpose of begging  
    • the act of begging is deemed as either approaching people for money, or being stationary and directly asking for money, or positioned on the floor to invite the offer of money or goods
  • failure of owner or person in control to remove dog faeces 
  • placing temporary structures for the purpose of habitation 

 We are proposing to introduce the new PSPO to prevent: 

  • occurrence or re-occurrence of the anti-social behaviour identified in the Order 
  • an increase in the frequency or seriousness of the anti-social behaviour identified in the Order 

By taking part in the survey, you have the opportunity to identify other types of anti-social behaviour that you think should be included in the PSPO. 

Related documents and links

Before you respond to this activity, please have a look at the following documents and links: 

How to have your say

You can tell us your views in one of the following ways:

If you have any questions about this activity, or require this information in another format or language, please email us anti-social-behaviour@buckinghamshire.gov.uk  

Please tell us your views by 11:59pm on Sunday 16 February 2025. 

What happens next

We will review and consider the consultation responses. 

The decision whether to expire the current Aylesbury Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order and introduce a new Aylesbury Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order will be made before the end of September 2025. 

Privacy

We will use the information you provide here only for this activity. We will store the information securely in line with data protection laws and will not share or publish any personal details. For more information about data and privacy, please see our Privacy Policy.

If you have questions about data and privacy, please email us on dataprotection@buckinghamshire.gov.uk. Or write to our Data Protection Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8FF.

Areas

  • Aylesbury

Interests

  • Communities
  • Crime & community safety