Hope that PSPO at Peterborough car cruising hotspot will provide solution as residents ‘blighted for years’

The order, proposed by Peterborough City Council, aims to tackle vehicle-related anti-social behaviour at Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park, which has become a hotspot for unauthorised car meets and car cruising events.

The car park is located near numerous residential buildings, with the people living nearby impacted by persistent noise, smoke and odours as well as littering when the events take place.

Cabinet member for housing and communities, Cllr Alison Jones, is recommended to authorise the implementation of the PSPO after a consultation which found that 151 out of 169 responses supported it.

“Residents around Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park have been blighted for years with screeching tyres, revving engines and loud music"

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Cllr Christian Hogg, represents the Fletton and Stanground ward where the car park is located.

He was part of a task and finish group set up in late 2020 which examined issues relating to car cruising in Peterborough and recommended a PSPO be implemented at Pleasure Fair Meadow.

Cllr Hogg said: “We asked for this as an outcome from the working group and it has taken an incredibly long time to get to the point where we are right now.

“It is absolutely most welcome, as the residents around Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park have been blighted for years with screeching tyres, revving engines and loud music on a regular basis.

“It has been incredibly destabilising for people’s work patterns and not being able to get a proper night’s sleep.

“I don’t mind the fact that people have a hobby and that they want to show off their cars, but they should be doing so responsibly.

“Hopefully this PSPO will finally produce a solution because it gives the police far more power to move people on and for them to not come back 15 minutes later.”

Anyone caught breaching the conditions of the proposed PSPO at Pleasure Fair Meadow could be fined up to £1,000 or face a fixed penalty notice.

“Hopefully it will be effective in just getting people some nights where they can sleep again"

Cllr Hogg added: “We need to stamp out this anti-social behaviour. The vast majority are law abiding citizens who just want to indulge themselves in their hobby, but the trouble is there is always that element that want to take it to the extreme.

“I know we still need to get the cabinet member to sign off on the decision but I feel that is a foregone conclusion, or certainly would hope so.”

A public consultation found that those in support of a PSPO at the car park faced issues with sleep, mental health and feeling unsafe, as well as concerns regarding speeding and drug use.

Just 18 people out of 169 were against the PSPO, with comments related to there being “limited locations for car enthusiasts to meet in Peterborough” as well as concern from those who “like to meet at the location but do not commit ASB”.

Independent councillor Julie Stevenson was the chair of the task and finish group created to examine the issue.

She said: “This is great. It has taken a long time but now it is here and hopefully it will be effective in just getting people some nights where they can sleep again when these events are going on.

“This needs to be counterbalanced against the car enthusiasts who don’t cause trouble and that is still an outstanding problem.

“It can feel almost like people who love cars and getting together to enjoy them are being unfairly punished and I have some sympathy with that.

“Obviously, it is the behaviour of a few that are spoiling it for many, which is a huge shame and I hope those who run the car meets will talk to the council and try to find some compromise to do it safely.

“As far as the location goes, it’s absolutely right that there should be a PSPO there.

“It remains to be seen if it is the answer and how effective it will be, but it is a really positive step forward.”

Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park is a council operated long stay public car park which provides 316 car parking spaces 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The car park is monitored by a council operated CCTV camera and, from April 2023 to November 2024, 32 incidents were logged concerning anti-social or dangerous driving and vehicle-related ASB.

These ranged from large scale car meets of approximately 300 cars to smaller gatherings of vehicles with drivers carrying out stunts such as doughnuts, hand brake turns and other dangerous driving.

Incidents also reportedly occurred in the adjacent car park owned and managed by Railworld Wildlife Haven.

The proposed PSPO area would include Pleasure Fair Meadow Road and car park accessed by Oundle Road, leading to Railworld Wildlife Haven Car Park north of Cubitt Way, and up to and including Steve Baker Walk bordered by the railway line.

Cllr Jones is expected to make a decision on the PSPO implementation by Thursday, July 3.