Current Public Space Protection Orders
Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) cover a range of issues.
Alcohol
This PSPO was renewed on 1 March 2024, for 3 years and covers the whole of Sandwell and enables council environmental protection officers and police who are concerned about anti-social behaviour, to:
- require a person not to drink alcohol (or what is believed to be alcohol) in a public place
- require a person to surrender the alcohol (or what is believed to be alcohol)
If the person fails to comply with the PSPO, they face a £100 fixed penalty or prosecution with a maximum penalty of £1,000.
Dog Fouling
This PSPO covers the whole of Sandwell and was renewed and extended on 1 March 2024, for 3 years. It requires a person in charge of a dog to pick up their dog's mess and have a receptacle on them, such as a dog poo bag to enable this. The order also now excludes dogs from enclosed children’s play areas and other enclosed sports areas.
If the person fails to comply with the PSPO, they face a £100 fixed penalty or prosecution with a maximum penalty of £1,000.
BBQs / Fires in Public Spaces
This new PSPO, effective from 1 March 2024 for 3 years, covers the whole of Sandwell and prohibits individuals having BBQs / fires on any public land including parks and requires anyone found in possession of items which could be used in connection with such activities to surrender them.
If the person fails to comply with the PSPO, they face a £100 fixed penalty or prosecution with a maximum penalty of £1,000.
West Bromwich Town Centre
This PSPO was renewed on 4 December 2024, for 3 years.
For six years West Bromwich town centre has been covered by a PSPO to reduce anti-social behaviour and make the town and a more pleasant place to live, work and shop.
Public consultation and a review of the first six years has shown ongoing support for continuing with a new PSPO as part of a suite of measures to tackle anti-social behaviour within the town centre. The public consultation showed 91% support for the West Bromwich Town Centre PSPO. The PSPO proposals demonstrate the council’s commitment to listening to its residents, partners, and communities and to take action to address issues that are important to them.
You can view a map of the area in which the following activities are prohibited:
- Acting or inciting others to act in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment alarm or distress to any person.
- Threatening any person with violence and/or being verbally abusive towards any person.
- Begging or asking members of the public for money or loitering for the purpose of begging or asking members of the public for money.
- Causing a motor vehicle or trailer to stand on a road and/or footpath so as to cause any unnecessary obstruction of the road and/or footpath.
Authorised council officers (e.g. environmental protection officers), police and police community support officers can enforce the PSPO.
People breaching the PSPO face a fixed penalty notice of up to £100 or a fine of up to £1,000 on prosecution.
Gating orders
As of 20 October 2017, existing gating orders became PSPOs.