Street pedlars, sketchy charity sellers, and buskers playing without permission are set to be the target of a new crackdown. They face being banned from Blackpool town centre and the Promenade, while traders will also be banned from the beach, under plans to extend an order that came into force in late 2015. That banned drinking in the street, hanging around cash machines and shop doorways to beg, the flogging of rag mags without permission, the selling of lucky charms or heather, the use of psychoactive drugs such as Spice, and the performing of card tricks and scams. A consultation on the amended Public Spaces Protection Order (Blackpool Borough Council) Town Centre and Promenade, which will also see people banned from taking glass on the beaches, will be held until the end of July. Specifically, it would ban the use of trolleys over one cubic metre by street pedlars, people from ‘engaging in an unregulated charity campaign’, and ‘people engaging in street performance without the consent of the authority’. The orders give councils the ability to set their own local laws to stop problematic behaviour in particular areas of their boroughs. Deputy council leader Gillian Campbell said: “It is so important residents have a qood quality of life living in Blackpool and that visitors to our town enjoy their experience. “That’s why we are committed to tackling nuisance and anti-social behaviour.“The current order, which focuses on the prohibition of certain types of anti-social behaviour, has been successful. “Given its success we are now consulting with our local communities and businesses with a view to extend the areas in the town covered by the order. “We are also looking to widen its scope and introduce new prohibitions. This will give us the tools that we need to further reduce nuisance behaviour such as taking glass and leaving it on the beach, problematic pedlars on the beach, regulating the behaviour of street performers, and restricting the size of street traders’ trolleys. “Our teams will be able to issue an immediate penalty notice or Community Protection Warning, which ultimately could lead to prosecution, or in some cases can proceed straight to prosecution.” Last November, Fylde Council revealed plans to ban barbecues and fires in open spaces – with a barbecue blamed for a large fire on Lytham Green this month. Wyre Council is currently considered whether to introduce an order banning the feeding of seagulls. They have also been used to control where and how people exercise their dogs on the Fylde coast.

Article from The Blackpool Gazette