The Communities and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel of Doncaster Council met on Thursday 6 August 2026 to discuss the review of the Doncaster City Centre Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and the council's work plan. The meeting also included a review of the minutes from the previous meeting and an opportunity for public statements.

Doncaster City Centre Public Spaces Protection Order Review

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the review of the Doncaster City Centre Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) Public reports pack 06th-Aug-2026 10.00 Communities and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel.pdf. The report pack indicated that the current PSPO, first introduced in 2017, was due to expire in November 2026 and was being reviewed for renewal.

The report detailed that the renewal of the PSPO is intended to support the council's wider ambitions for the city centre, as outlined in the Urban Centre Masterplan, which aims to create a safe, clean, secure, and vibrant environment. The PSPO has been part of a partnership approach to managing anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the city centre.

Evidence from enforcement activity and partnership data suggested that the PSPO continues to be necessary to address persistent antisocial behaviour, proportionate in its application, and a justified measure to protect the rights of others to safely use the city centre. This proposed renewal is viewed as one component of a wider prevention, support, and place-based improvement programme.

A full public consultation was undertaken as part of the statutory review, with 1,558 responses received. The consultation results demonstrated strong support for renewing the PSPO and its existing prohibitions, alongside a clear expectation that their effectiveness should be improved, particularly in relation to visibility, stronger enforcement, and clear consequences. Respondents recognised the PSPO as an important tool in managing anti-social behaviour when used alongside engagement and support for individuals.

The report detailed the seven existing prohibitions within the current PSPO, which address:

• Begging: The aim is to support individuals requiring additional support to break the cycle of begging and reduce its impact on the city centre offer.
• Loitering: The aim is to stop people loitering around ATMs and pay machines, which has a detrimental effect on people's feelings of safety and on the vibrancy of the City Centre.
• No Return within 24 hours if asked to leave (Dispersal): The aim is to deter people from behaving in an antisocial manner which has a detrimental effect on people's feelings of safety and on the vibrancy of the City Centre.
• Drinking alcohol in public areas: The aim is to deter people from consuming alcohol on the streets other than at licensed premises and to prevent antisocial behaviour and impacts on the city centre related to this.
• Taking drugs or other banned substances: The aim is to deter people from consuming drugs/intoxicating substances and to prevent antisocial behaviour and impacts on the city centre related to this.
• Urination and defecation in public: The aim is to deter people from behaving in an antisocial way which can cause public and environmental health problems, as well as difficulties for city centre businesses/traders.
• Tampering with car parking equipment: The aim is to ensure effective provision of car parking in the city centre, which is vital to the economy and most important to individuals with additional needs. Vandalism and blockages of parking machines cause great frustration and expense to car park users and deters from the experience of using the city centre.

Additionally, the report proposed the introduction of an eighth prohibition relating to the Use of amplified equipment, aiming to deter its use in a manner that causes harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance, or annoyance, and which adversely affects people's feelings of safety and the vibrancy of the city centre.

The report outlined recommendations for Cabinet to note the consultation outcomes, give consideration to the revised PSPO, and note the intention of the UK Government to increase the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice for breach of a PSPO from £100 to £500. The panel was asked to delegate to the Council's Director of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regulation and Enforcement, Planning and Safer Communities, the power to amend the Fixed Penalty Notice for breach of the Doncaster City Centre PSPO up to the statutory maximum.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan and Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The panel was also scheduled to consider the Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions Public reports pack 06th-Aug-2026 10.00 Communities and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel.pdf. This item typically involves reviewing the panel's work plan for the upcoming year and the council's forward plan of key decisions to ensure alignment and identify any areas requiring scrutiny. Members were invited to forward any items they wished to consider for the 2026/27 work plan.

The meeting was chaired by Councillor John Reed, with Councillor Rob Dennis serving as Vice-Chair. The panel membership included Councillors Nick Allen, Russ Linley, Steven Plater, Nick Pritchard, Rachel Reed, Lee Sammut, and Glyn Whiting. Christine Rothwell was the Governance Services Officer for the meeting.

It is important to note that this summary is based on the scheduled agenda and the information made public in the report pack. The actual discussions and any decisions made during the meeting are not detailed in the provided documents.