November 1, 2011 12.49 pm This story is over 148 months old

Council approves plans to curb street drinking

Street drinking: Plans for central Lincoln Designated Public Place Order were approved by the City Council.
Photo: Staging by Lincolnshire Police cadets

The City of Lincoln Council’s approved on Monday night plans that aim to curb street drinking via a Designated Public Place Order (DPPO).

After an initial lukewarm reception, the DPPO is now supported by Lincolnshire Police, Lincoln BIG and the council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team.

A DPPO does not ban drinking alcohol in public, but gives police officers the power to ask an individual to stop drinking if they are causing a nuisance or annoyance, with an offence being committed if a person refuses to do so.

The initial proposal, following a public petition, covered a large area from Newport Arch in the north, to South Park roundabout, and across the city from the Grandstand in the west, to the Arboretum in the east.

However, at a debate in August, officials were not convinced that the DPPO should cover such a large area of Lincoln, as it would be difficult to enforce.

The new DPPO will be implemented within a boundary set by Newport Arch, St Mark’s Shopping Centre, Broadgate and the Brayford Bridge.

The plans are subject to public consultation until Thursday, November 17, and approval by Full Council.

City Councillor Fay Smith said: “We’ve had overwhelming support from the public and our partners for introducing a DPPO, and have wanted to push this through as quickly as possible.

“However, whilst this is a valuable tool for the police, we know that enforcement is not the answer to the problem.

“People who drink on the streets and cause problems for other city centre visitors need help and support to tackle their issues.

“As such, we’re working with partners like Framework, who have recently received funding to develop a specialist treatment service, including a 15 bed supported housing scheme.”

Source: City of Lincoln Council