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Friday, 28 August 2020_Homeless people in three coastal towns in Dorset may face fines for sleeping in doorways or leaving bedding and belongings in the street under proposal Conservative councilors are trying to bring into effect.
The Tory politicians argue the drastic measure is essential in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to ease residents’ concerns and boost the area’s economy. Some critics, however, assert the proposals risk criminalising some of the most vulnerable people in society without tackling the root cause of their situation.
The row centres on a plan for a public spaces protection order (PSPO) taking in the three towns. Representatives of the local authority responsible for the towns in question have put forward a proposal which would ban behaviour such as drinking alcohol in public while acting in an antisocial manner and causing harassment, alarm or distress.
At a meeting of the council’s overview board earlier in the week, Tory councillors claimed the measures did not go far enough. They argued that begging, loitering in a public place, causing an obstruction in shop doorways or car parks and leaving unattended personal belongings such as bedding or bags should also be included.
The Tory councillor Karen Rampton said strict rules were necessary. “We know that people leaving unattended belongings causes anxiety. Shopkeepers do not want people obstructing their doorways especially in these times of Covid.”
Those who violate PSPOs face a fine of one hundred pounds, which, if unpaid can lead to summary convictions and £1,000 penalties. The idea behind the PSPO was to counter antisocial behaviour rather than targeting a particular group, according to Rampton.
The Liberal Democrat councillor Millie Earl, on the other hand, said the proposals were “very cruel”. “It’s completely counterproductive to hand out a fine to someone who is already in poverty,” she said.
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