Crime commissioner warns ‘people will get killed’ as a result of anti-social driving in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s police and crime commissioner has warned of the potentially devastating consequences of anti-social driving in the region.

Peterborough City Council is looking to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) at Pleasure Fair Meadow car park, which has become a hotspot for unauthorised car meets and car cruising events.

The council said it received several reports from nearby residents impacted by persistent noise, smoke and odours as well as littering.

At a meeting of the Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel in Peterborough on March 17, a question on anti-social driving was put to PCC Darryl Preston.

Councillor Anna Bradnam, representative from Cambridgeshire County Council, asked Mr Preston’s view on anti-social driving in park and ride sites in Cambridgeshire, and if the chief constable is doing enough to stop it.

Mr Preston responded: “As you know, it’s not just park and ride sites. Peterborough has had some very significant issues and so has East Cambridgeshire.

“This is a constant nuisance for local residents and at one of them there is a care home nearby. It really is anti-social.

“I know that the police do regularly patrol these. Some of the places where they have managed to deal with this problem successfully has required partnerships.

“For example, the park and ride is owned by the local authority so we all need to work together to find ways.”

Mr Preston warned that anti-social driving could have potentially fatal consequences.

He added: “There are often young people that are coming together. What I have seen on some of the videos shown around is that people will get killed. We’ve seen some really bad incidents.

“It is serious, it is significant, and I would expect the Community Safety Partnerships, the police and partnerships, to be doing all they can where they can to tackle it.”

In Peterborough, the proposed PSPO for Pleasure Fair Meadow car park includes several conditions aimed at preventing ‘vehicle-related nuisance and anti-social behaviour’ and performing a range of activities in the area.

A public consultation over the PSPO plans is underway until Friday, March 28 and can be accessed on the city council website.

Once the consultation closes, responses will be considered before the council makes a recommendation to implement the PSPO for three years.

Independent councillor Julie Stevenson is the former chair of a council task and finish group which was created to deal with the issue of car meets in Peterborough.

She previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’ve been encouraging residents to support this PSPO. It is part of a bigger picture for Peterborough where we have to make sure it doesn’t just push the problem somewhere else.

“I absolutely feel for the people that live in The Apex and around there. I know the terrible stress the noise causes them.

“I very much welcome the PSPO but I’m also cautious that it needs to be part of a bigger operation.”

Cambridgeshire Police has been carrying out regular high-vis patrols of Pleasure Fair Meadows car park.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We will continue these targeted patrols when we can, and will deal with anyone found to be driving anti-socially.

“We can issue Section 59 warnings, on both a driver and a vehicle, meaning if either is involved in anti-social behaviour again, the vehicle can be seized.”