Worcester city centre ban over cycling, begging and gulls order

The City Centre PSPO (public space protection order) was introduced by Worcester City Council in 2021 and expires at the end of the month.

But councillors feel the behaviours it targets are either not major issues or can be tackled using other pieces of legislation.

The council’s Communities Committee voted on Wednesday (March 13) not to extend the order.

The city council is launching a bike share scheme this year (Image: Worcester City Council)

The meeting heard from Dan Brothwell, chair of lobby group Bike Worcester, who said the PSPO signs around the city act as a “psychological barrier” to people using bikes to get around.

He also said fixed penalty notices cannot be issued to minors.

Police and council officers say the PSPO is hard to enforce as they can only stop someone if it is safe to do so, signage explaining the order is limited and cycling rules are complicated by the presence of traffic regulation orders (TRO), which ban bikes from certain streets between 10am and 6pm.

The TROs, which are drawn up by the county council, are set to remain in place.

Officers also say there is “little or no evidence” of either people feeding gulls intentionally or of aggressive begging in Worcester.

Other laws are in place that allow officers who find people begging in the city centre to refer them to Maggs Day Centre.

Cllr Matt Lamb said: “I was never convinced people feeding gulls, aggressive begging and dangerous cyclists were the big issues facing Worcester.”

Referring to the introduction of the order three years ago, he added: “I thought it was more a bit of political theatre.”

Cllr Tom Piotrowski said: “It is more about culture wars than what we want for the city.”

Cllr Alan Amos said a public consultation on the PSPO showed the majority of residents were in favour of keeping it.

“The council has given in, yet again, to vocal minorities and created a free-for-all in the shopping centre,” he told the Worcester News.

“Pedestrianising the city centre was designed to create a safe and welcoming place solely for pedestrians but is now becoming a dangerous place, in particular for the elderly and parents with children.”

Cllr Neil Laurenson, chairing the meeting, said it was important to strike a “balance between evidence and perception”.