Havering wants £100 on-the-spot fines for ten behaviours borough-wide, from busking to catapults. The consultation closes on 23 October 2026.

Havering wants powers to fine people £100 on the spot, anywhere in the borough, for ten kinds of behaviour. Drinking in the street is on the list. So is busking with an amplifier, gathering in a group of two or more, feeding wildlife and carrying a catapult.

The council opened a consultation on 28 August on a borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order. It closes at the end of 23 October 2026 (Havering Council consultation portal).

The order would replace the borough’s only existing PSPO, which was made in October 2023, expires in October 2026 and covers Romford town centre alone, with restrictions on alcohol-led anti-social behaviour (Havering Council, 28 August 2026).

The ten restrictions, as the consultation words them

  • Alcohol. People must stop drinking in public places if asked to by an authorised officer.
  • Dogs. Owners must clean up after their dogs and keep them under control.
  • Begging. No begging “in a way that causes nuisance, intimidation, harassment, alarm or distress”.
  • Bikes, mopeds, e-scooters and e-bikes. No use “in a dangerous, reckless or anti-social way”.
  • Groups. “Groups of two or more people must not gather in a way that causes nuisance, anti-social behaviour or criminal activity.”
  • Face coverings. None worn to hide identity while causing or intending to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Religious, cultural and medical coverings are exempt.
  • Urinating or defecating in public, other than in a toilet or other appropriate facility.
  • Amplified street entertainment, busking and public speaking, where the amplified sound causes nuisance, harassment, alarm or distress.
  • Catapults and projectile devices. No carrying or using them where they could cause harm, damage, nuisance, alarm or distress.
  • Feeding wildlife, or leaving food out, where it could cause nuisance, environmental damage, public health concerns or attract vermin.

The council’s press release lists nine

Catapults and projectile devices do not appear in the council’s own news article, which sets out nine restrictions. The consultation page residents are being asked to respond to sets out ten. The consultation is the document that counts, and it is the one linked from the press release.

Havering's current PSPO against the one proposed Comparison. The current order, made October 2023 and expiring October 2026, covers Romford town centre only and restricts one behaviour, alcohol. The proposed order would cover the whole borough and restrict ten behaviours. Both carry a fixed penalty notice of up to 100 pounds, or a fine of up to 1,000 pounds on conviction. One town centre and one behaviour, or the whole borough and ten Havering Council PSPO consultation, opened 28 August 2026, closes 23 October 2026 Current order (Oct 2023 to Oct 2026) Romford town centre only 1 behaviour restricted: alcohol Proposed order Every public space in Havering 10 behaviours restricted Penalty is unchanged: up to £100 fixed penalty, or up to £1,000 on conviction. Graphic by Romford Today.
The consultation asks whether the restrictions should apply borough-wide or only in specific areas.

What breaking one costs

The council says a breach can bring a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100 on the spot, or a fine of up to £1,000 if the case goes to court.

Both figures are the statutory ceilings rather than local choices. Under section 68(6) of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a PSPO fixed penalty “must not be more than £100”. Under section 67, the offence carries “a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale”, which is £1,000. Drinking alcohol in breach of an order is dealt with separately, under section 63.

A PSPO is not a free hand. Before making one, the council has to be satisfied of two things under section 59: that activities in a public place “have had a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality”, and that the effect is “of a persistent or continuing nature”, makes the activities unreasonable, and justifies the restrictions.

Two other limits are worth knowing before you respond:

  • An order can last no more than three years before it has to be extended, which is why the 2023 order runs out this October.
  • Section 72(1) requires the council to have “particular regard to the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly” under Articles 10 and 11 of the Convention.

That last one bears directly on two of the ten. A restriction on public speaking and busking engages free expression. A restriction on groups of two or more people gathering engages freedom of assembly. Both are drafted to bite only where the behaviour causes nuisance or distress, and the council will have to show that balance was struck.

What the council says

Councillor Terry Brown, Havering’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Our current PSPO to deal with alcohol related problems in Romford town centre is due to expire in October.

“By introducing a Borough-wide PSPO, it enables our officers and that of the Police, to have the extra powers to continue cracking down on unacceptable behaviour in all our public spaces in Havering.

“While the vast majority of people use our town centres and public spaces responsibly, sadly, a number of individuals don’t and cause nuisance and distress to others. We will not tolerate this.”

What it means for you

No decision has been made. The consultation page states plainly that its purpose is “to understand local views before the Council decides whether a borough-wide PSPO should be introduced and, if so, which restrictions should be included”.

If you want a say:

  • Respond through the consultation portal before it closes on 23 October 2026.
  • The council’s contact address for the proposal is asb@havering.gov.uk.
  • Five things are being asked, including whether you have experienced any of these behaviours, and whether the restrictions should apply across the whole borough or only in specific areas. That last question is the one that decides whether this reaches Hornchurch, Upminster, Rainham and Harold Hill or stays in Romford.

If it is introduced, the final order will set out the restrictions, the exemptions and how it would be enforced. Havering has used its enforcement powers visibly this year: in July it shut a Romford shop for three months over illegal tobacco.

Sources