Correspondance to EBC regarding the withdrawal of the Public Spaces Protection Order

Following the Councils meeting on the 8th April a letter was sent to EBC requesting information about the withdrawal of the proposed Public Spaces Protection Order for Hamble Foreshore and how anti social behaviour would be managed in the absence of the order. The content is copied below and a response is still pending.

Mr N Tustian Chief Executive

9th April 2019

Dear Nick,

I am sorry I was unable to speak to you last week and I appreciate your conversation with Jeanette and the follow up letter, which was provided to Council, by way of explanation about the withdrawal of the PSPO.

Members are very concerned that there is a very short window before the exam period starts, which heralds the onset of problems at the foreshore each year. Although the local community want to see a resolution to this long-standing problem, which was especially bad last year, there are real concerns that the dangerous swimming will at some point lead to injury or loss of life. Members expect that this was considered as part of the decision making and would appreciate confirmation of this?

Given the time that has been spent working on the PSPO and the expectation in the community, members have asked for more detail on the following points:

• Why was the order withdrawn without any prior consultation with partners given the history of joint working on it?
• What was the specific basis for the decision to withdraw without consultation?
• What factors changed during the course of the consultation to make this a reasonable course of action?
• How is this PSPO counter to EBC policy? A drinking control order already exists in the borough and others will be created when dog control orders migrate on expiry?
• How was the decision taken and by who?

In conclusion it would be fair say that Members were very upset to learn about the withdrawal of the PSPO especially given that support from HPC for the new Youth Options contract was dependant on the PSPO being taken forward. Had we known that the order was not going to happen, we would have retained the funding pledged to the new contract, for targeted youth engagement at the foreshore during those critical few months. It feels like a breach of trust which is especially difficult in the light of the other projects and issues that the previous letters refer to.

I look forward to receiving a response to the specific points and an urgent indication about the strategy for managing ASB on the foreshore this year.

Yours sincerely

Amanda Jobling

Clerk