With every academic year, new students arrive in Norwich, and this year, so do new police powers designed to tackle the issues of antisocial behaviour and public drinking. 

Norwich City Council spent May conducting a consultation to hear residents’ and businesses’ thoughts on a proposed Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to counter drinking-related antisocial behaviour. 

Having been approved by the council, it came into effect on July 24th. The PSPO does not make it illegal to drink or carry alcohol in all public spaces but instead seeks responsible drinking in and around Norwich. This will be in place for a minimum of three years. 

In 2020, Norfolk Constabulary reported that 86% of antisocial behaviour crimes were associated with “drunken conduct.” Complaints often featured groups in public shouting, swearing, and public urination. The city has also issued PSPOs in the last year to break up ‘boy racers’ and similar vehicular incidents of antisocial behaviour. 

The PSPO gives police and ‘authorised persons’ in Norwich the power to request that members of the public stop consuming alcohol when asked within the ‘Restricted Area’ (Norwich city boundary). Failure to comply can result in the confiscation and disposal of alcohol as well as the issuing of a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice. 

The council outlines how payment within ten days will reduce the penalty to £70, while failure to pay within 14 days will be overseen by the court and result in a fine of up to £1000. 

The order has come following a rise in antisocial behaviour in the city. It is designed to work in tandem with increased high-visibility patrols targeting ‘hotspots’ across the city, notably in the area surrounding Prince of Wales Road and the train station. Norfolk Constabulary has received up to £1million from the Home Office to tackle antisocial behaviour in Norwich and Great Yarmouth.

Labour councillor Beth Jones, cabinet member for Housing, said that the aim of the PSPO is to “improve the quality of life for residents and visitors” targeting anti-social behaviour linked to public drinking, adding that the PSPO “ensures a consistent approach across the city, preventing ASB from merely relocating to different areas”. The council has reiterated that the order does not intend to stop all public drinking or possession of alcohol.

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