Plans to ban drinking on streets of town scrapped

Welshpool Town Council has applied for a Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) to be brought in on the town centre streets in a bid to cut anti-social behaviour.

But Powys County Council said following talks with Dyfed-Powys Police it had decided not to grant the order.

The county council said it could not grant the order without police backing and the force did not have sufficient concerns that the town needed the ban.

The news was greeted with dismay by Councillor Estelle Bleivas, a member of the town council's policing panel.

She said: "Both myself and Councillor Hazel Evans who is also on the policing panel are extremely disappointed that this proposal has been rejected.

"I would like to know if the person who has made this decision has ever been to Welshpool and seen the mess left by people drinking.

"People also feel intimidated by groups of four, five or six people drinking on the streets.

"With the majority of the local residents behind us I thought common sense would prevail which makes me very angry but the town council has done its best."

The town council's town plan had shown 97 per cent of residents who responded to a survey were in favour of the order being brought in.

Earlier this year a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour linked to drinking happened in the town, including dozens of empty beer bottles bring strewn over the Maes-y-Dre Recreation Ground.

Powys County Council said it would not be issuing the order, but would be working with the police and town council to ensure the region's safety.

Councillor Rosemarie Harris, cabinet member for community safety, said: "As a member of the Powys Community Safety Partnership we work with various partners including Dyfed-Powys Police, to make the county one of the safest to work and live in.

"We have received a request for a Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) to be implemented in Welshpool town centre by the town council. However, we will not be proceeding with the request for a DPPO for a number of reasons.

"The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) has considered intelligence it holds in relation to alcohol issues in Welshpool, which does not evidence a significant problem in the town centre.

"Various activities have also been carried out by CSP partners within Welshpool which are reported to have been successful."

Councillor Harris added: "Finally, in relation to the application for a DPPO, the process required is that Powys County Council must receive a request from the Divisional Commander of the Police, as the powers to enforce a DPPO lies solely with the police. No such request has been received.

"However, we will continue to work with our partners and other organisations to make the county a safe place to work and live in but this work will be intelligence-led in its approach so that any initiative considered is appropriate and proportionate to any issues raised by residents and communities."