New anti-social behaviour rules in Guildford begin

Using vehicles, including bicycles, skateboards, scooters and wheeled toys, in a dangerous way in pedestrian parts of Guildford town centre has been banned under new rules to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The public space protection order (PSPO) came into force on Tuesday and will last until 31 March 2028.

The restrictions also include drinking alcohol in public after receiving a verbal warning from an authorised person, and behaving or encouraging others to behave in a rowdy and inconsiderate way.

Councillor Merel Rehorst-Smith said: "Our goal is to strike a careful balance between protecting individual freedoms and ensuring our town centre feels safe and welcoming for everyone."

Some of the original proposals for the regulations were changed after being opposed by University of Surrey students, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Officers made amendments to the text, for example, to clarify that bicycles are not being singled out, after there were concerns that residents would be discouraged from using sustainable transport methods.

The PSPO is an extension of a scheme which was introduced in Guildford in April 2022.

The town centre, Stoke Park and some neighbouring residential roads and the Mount area, including Black Cat Alley, near the bottom of Farnham Road, where there have been reports of anti-social behaviour, are areas included in the scheme.

Insp Blaine Rafferty, Guildford Borough Commander, said Surrey Police were working with the council to "make Guildford a safer place to live and work".

"We hope that the Public Space Protection Order will help accomplish that, and we believe that a coordinated approach can make a significant difference in preventing anti-social behaviour and improving residents' quality of life," he said.

With additional reporting from local democracy reporter Emily Dalton.

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