Caerphilly could follow in the footsteps of Hillingdon and use sweeping new behaviour orders to police council and public transport areas.
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 enables local authorities to impose conditions on how public areas are used.
The new Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) can prohibit a wider range of behaviours than various earlier orders and anyone breaching a PSPO can be fined up to £1,000, although offenders in Caerphilly are likely to be given fixed penalty notices for £100 by council wardens or police.
The London Borough of Hillingdon has introduced PSPOs for two car parks in Uxbridge. It prevents people from gathering in groups of two or more unless they are going to or from a parked vehicle or waiting for a bus at a bus stop.
Local police said the car parks were not designed for skateboarding, and the PSPOs would also reduce criminal damage and drug use in the area.
Next week {29th} Caerphilly CBC’s cabinet will consider proposed PSPOs for bus stations in Caerphilly, Bargoed, Blackwood and Nelson and various bus shelters.
Arriva Trains Wales has asked for the Caerphilly order to include the adjacent railway station, to enable British Transport Police to use the new provisions.
‘The evidence suggests that both areas should be treated in the same way,’ said Kathryn Peters, Caerphilly’s community safety manager.
Gwent Police supported a request by Stagecoach for a PSPO to cover a bus stop in a Caerphilly suburb where staff and passengers have experienced problems.
