Everyone wants to live in a nice area with a good community where they feel safe. Sadly there are a number of locations where crime and anti-social behaviour are big issues. Luckily, councils can step in to try to improve the situation. As one of the top names for block management Harrow has, we want to take a look at what the local authority is proposing for this borough.
The council’s current powers
One thing councils can do is introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). The orders ban certain behaviours in specific geographical areas. The goal is to tackle anti-social behaviour as well as other activities that harm the community. The PSPOs can focus on things like driving, having dogs off a lead, loitering, littering, and more.
If a council introduces a PSPO, it is a criminal offence to fail to comply. As a result, council officers have the power to hand out £100 fines (FPNs) on the spot. Or, if the case goes to the magistrates’ court, it can bring a summary offence fine up to £1,000.
Currently Harrow has two PSPOs in force. The first is borough wide and covers dog fouling and failure to pick it up, driving on kerbs, footways, and verges, urinating and drinking alcohol in public, and more. The second is only for Harrow town centre. It covers illegal street trading, feeding birds, use of amplifiers, and more.
New proposal
The current PSPOs expire in January 2024 and July 2024 respectively. With that in mind, Harrow Council is looking at introducing a new PSPO that would be borough wide and also cover specific areas where there are concerns. They are exploring this option after recording a rise in anti-social behaviour and low level crime. In fact, last year the council gave out fines for over 6,000 offences.
The new proposal would address issues in different spots. Firstly would be prohibitions on behaviour in the whole borough, including no urinating or spitting. There would then be prohibitions for specific areas like housing estates, public parks, and town centres. This would include things like fly tipping and driving on pavements. Finally, there would be rules for Bentley Priory, particularly around letting dogs off leads.
It will be interesting to see if the proposal goes forward and becomes a PSPO. If so it could help to improve behaviour across the borough, making it a more pleasant place for people to live.
Do you need block management in Harrow?
At Finefair Ltd we understand the impact anti-social behaviour can have on areas and even specific properties. It can be a concern for some landlords, especially when they have blocks or estates. The risk is damage to public areas could make the whole block or estate look and feel bad for residents.
Good management can be crucial here. It can showcase that the owner cares about the property and area, and can also instil the right behaviour in residents. In turn it can make it better for everyone.
We are proud to be able to arrange block management in Harrow to suit most needs. The services are with the local council so we all focus on doing the best for the area. You can also get guaranteed rent too.
So, contact us today to learn more.
