15/12/2025: Breckland Council moves forward with proposed Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Dereham

Breckland Council's Cabinet have given the green light to progress the development of a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Dereham town centre. The decision forms part of a wider response to concerns raised by the local community about anti-social behaviour in the town.

At their meeting today (15 December) the Council's executive members voted to launch a public consultation on the proposed PSPO, which would help to define which behaviours and activities local people would like to see prohibited in the town centre and which area the PSPO would cover.

PSPOs typically include issues such as street drinking, substance use, disruptive vehicles and other anti-social behaviour. They can be enforced by police officers or authorised council officers. Failure to comply with the restrictions is a criminal offence and can result in an on-the-spot fine or prosecution.

The decision follows a well-attended public meeting held recently in Dereham, where residents raised concerns about issues in the town centre.

Cllr Tristan Ashby, Breckland Council's Executive Member for Health and Communities, said: "The introduction of a PSPO would give the police and the council more power to stamp out unwanted activity in Dereham. We understand people in the town have real concerns about anti social behaviour in the area and we are committed to tackling this issue with the community and our partners. The next step is to give members of the public a say on whether they'd like to see a PSPO introduced and, if so, what they want that to look like. So I urge people to look out for more detail on how they can have their say in the coming weeks."

Following the consultation, responses will be carefully analysed before a further report is brought back to Cabinet to finalise the details of the PSPO and decide whether to formally adopt it.

The proposed PSPO sits alongside a new multi-agency task force announced by the Council. The task force brings together partners including the NHS, police, mental health service providers and local councils to improve communication and collaboration.