A ban on street drinking has been brought into force by South Gloucestershire Council to tackle increasing levels of anti-social behaviour in the Staple Hill area.
The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is being implemented on Friday and Saturdays from 9pm to 4am from the junction with Lower Station Road and Broad Street to the junction with Park Road.
It means drinking alcohol in public areas within this location during these times will be prohibited.
The order, which came into effect on Friday 11 June, will be enforced by Avon and Somerset Police.
Breaking it could result in a fixed penalty notice of £100, discounted to £75 if paid within 10 days, or liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 or level 3 on the standard scale.
This would be depending on which offence the defendant is prosecuted for under the Anti-social Behaviour, Police and Crime Act 2014.
Community safety and licensing teams from South Gloucestershire Council have been working with Avon and Somerset Police, as the problem of street drinking and anti-social behaviour has increased in Staple Hill High Street.
This has coincided with the easing of lockdown restrictions, with licensed premises in the area are now closing at 10pm, leading to significant numbers of people buying alcohol in off licences and continuing drinking in the High Street.
The council said this is leading to larger groups gathering, fighting and causing general nuisance behaviour.
Over the past two months, there have been nine separate incidents of assaults and public order offences, as well as reports of groups of up to 100 people gathering.
As well as this, verbal abuse towards members of the public, fighting with other members of the community, dealing in controlled substances and some evidence of individuals carrying knives and weapons have taken place, the council said.
Commenting, South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Local Place, Councillor Rachael Hunt said: “We know the problems we are seeing in Staple Hill are the result of a minority of people and we will not tolerate it.
“Street drinking and associated anti-social behaviour is affecting other members of the community, as well as businesses which have already struggled so much over the past year.
“The PSPO will allow us all to prevent these issues and will also allow the police to manage this area positively, in turn reducing the anti-social behaviour and boosting confidence within the community.”
As part of the wider plans to tackle this problem, the authority’s licensing teams and the police will work with licensed premises to re-establish the Pub Watch scheme in Staple Hill, which will introduce the ‘Behave or Be Banned’ scheme.
