CAMDEN COUNCIL APPROVES £100 FINES FOR STREET DRINKING

Camden Council has approved a Public Spaces Protection Order to tackle alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour in the north London borough, effective from July. The measure empowers police and council enforcement officers to order individuals to stop drinking in public spaces and to confiscate alcohol from those engaged in antisocial behaviour. Anyone who refuses such an order will face a £100 fine. The order does not constitute an outright ban on drinking in parks and other public spaces.

The council introduced the order under powers granted by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which allows local authorities to address antisocial behaviour in specific public spaces. A consultation revealed community concerns including contractors being unable to lock parks due to drinkers refusing to leave, loud music, public urination and rudeness to passers-by. Camden councillors stated that the majority of alcohol consumption in the borough occurs responsibly and that the order targets specific concerns rather than general drinking. The PSPO will apply across all of Camden except Hampstead Heath, which falls under the authority of the City of London Corporation.

The order will remain in place for three years, after which the council will decide whether to renew it. Similar restrictions on street drinking are already in place across the majority of London boroughs, including Camden's neighbouring authorities of Haringey, Islington and Westminster. The measure reflects a wider approach to managing public space use across the capital.