OPPOSITION to the proposed scrapping of a Public Space Protection Order in Wrexham town centre is building.

At a meeting of Wrexham Council's executive board next month there is a recommendation to scrap the order for the town centre, which expires on July 31 after being in force for three years.

It was introduced in 2016 to deal with anti-social behaviour (ASB), and follows the expiry of the same order for Rhosddu which members of the community want re-instated, as reported by the Leader last week.

A PSPO enables council staff and police to issue fixed penalties of £100 for anti-social behaviour such as drinking, drug taking, sleeping rough and littering within a certain area.

County Councillor Marc Jones, Plaid Cymru’s councillor for Grosvenor ward, which covers a large part of the town centre as well as Rhosddu, has received a letter from the clerk of Rhosddu Community Council expressing members' concerns about the proposal.

Cllr Jones said: “The original PSPO wasn’t enforced properly by the council and was widely seen as ineffective in dealing with anti-social behaviour. But that’s not a reason to scrap it.

“As the councillor who hears daily from residents and businesses trying to make a living in the town centre, I believe abandoning the PSPO sends out the wrong signals both to the small minority engaged in anti-social behaviour and the vast majority of frustrated residents.

“That’s why Rhosddu Community Council has written opposing the removal of the PSPO and indeed wants it extended to include Rhosddu Park and cemetery. The previous PSPO covering expired in March and it’s disappointing that the county borough council failed to consult with the community and its elected representatives about this decision.

“The executive board has a simple decision to make next month. Does it provide additional support and protection for its own staff, local residents and small businesses in tackling anti-social behaviour or does it give up the ghost?

“PSPOs in themselves are not the solution, they’re a reaction to a problem. But they can be a useful tool in dealing with specific circumstances and frontline staff need to have the options the PSPO offers to deal with specific problems.

“If any executive board member wants to understand my community’s frustration at this ongoing situation, I’d welcome them to visit my ward at anytime. I’m sure a number of town centre traders could also explain the impact this anti-social behaviour is having on their businesses.”

In his letter to Cllr Jones, Rhosddu Community Council clerk Nigel Hodges said: "Since the introduction of the PSPOs the situation improved.

"The bus station and King Street became usable without fear by the general public, and no longer were drunks and drug addicts on the children's play equipment on the John Jones Playground on Rhosddu Road, for example.

"We believe that non-renewal of the PSPO in Rhosddu was a mistake. Only last month. It meant that a young man in a tent went for four weeks without being moved on from a Wrexham Council playing field, because the powers of the council to take action under the PSPO were not available, and similar problems are bound to arise over the summer if nothing is done to replace the PSPO in Rhosddu and the town centre.

"I understand that the removal of the PSPO is opposed by all town centre councillors as well as the town centre management team who have to deal on a daily basis with the problems they encounter.

"A beefed-up PSPO should be seen as a complementary tool to tackle ASB alongside a number of other interventions. We recognise that a PSPO alone is not an answer to the problem but in some cases will assist in ensuring the council's officers can help individuals access the right services.

"We therefore call on the executive board to approve the renewal of the town centre PSPO and for its boundaries to be extended to cover the now defunct Rhosddu PSPO."

Cllr Hugh Jones, lead member for communities, partnerships, public protection and community safety, says the council and other agencies are looking at more targeted ways of dealing with anti-social behaviour which are not covered by a PSPO.

He said: “In anticipation of the Town Centre Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) coming to an end, and the ending of the associated order covering Rhosddu Cemetery, we are discussing possible appropriate replacement orders with partners and members.

“Our work in recent years shows that PSPOs are only one element of responding to the issues of anti-social behaviour raised in the town centre, and enforcement alone is not enough to deal with these matters.

“The recent work of the Gold Group – a multi-agency partnership which provides prompt, targeted and relevant support to those in need to help turn their often dysfunctional lives around – contributed to a 43 per cent drop in anti-social behaviour in Wrexham town centre.

“Working alongside police, health services and the appropriate support and rehabilitation agencies, we have made significant progress in recent years and it is vital that this positive work continues.”