Peterborough passageway which is a hotspot for drug dealing and teenage drinking to be closed for most city residents
Residents say they regularly find ‘intoxicated’ people unconscious on the ground in Kings Walk
Peterborough City Council have made a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour in a Peterborough passageway where people regularly get so drunk they are found unconscious on the floor.
Residents have been complaining about street drinking, drug dealing and other anti-social issues on Kings Walk, off Dogsthorpe Road in Peterborough for more than a decade – with more than 100 incidents reported on the small alleyway in the six months to April this year alone.
Now a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is being put in place, restricting access to the alley to most people in the city – with only residents living near-by able to use the route. The passageway will gated off, with a list of people who can use the path drawn up.
One resident told the council how bad the situation had got. They said: “Over the years we have had constant drug use and selling of drugs taking place, underage smoking with teenagers gathering here to smoke and drink alcohol, every other month an intoxicated individual will be laying on the ground unconscious, broken glass and needles are always left behind.
"Although the space is cleaned by street cleaners, it always smells of urine due to intoxicated members of the public vomiting and urinating there.”
Another resident said they had stopped using Kings Walk, adding: “There is constant drug and alcohol abuse taking place, needles left behind and teenagers, young men and intoxicated individuals loitering for hours who are quite abusive and intimidating on occasions.”
Anyone found to have breached the order will either be faced with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £100 or prosecution. The council’s policy is not to issue FPNs to homeless individuals for PSPO breaches, instead offering them engagement and support.
Councillor Steve Allen, deputy leader and cabinet member for communication, culture and communities, at Peterborough City Council, said: “We have heard residents' concerns and feel that implementing this PSPO is the best way forward. We hope it will offer residents peace of mind and deter individuals from taking part in anti-social behaviour. Residents in Peterborough deserve to feel safe in their own homes and able to walk in their community without fear.”