Liberal Democrat Councillor for Canford Heath East, Sandra Moore, has condemned controversial fines saying “PSPOs should be thrown out”.
The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) give police in Poole the power to fine beggars and rough sleepers up to £1,000.
Following public outcry, the Borough of Poole council has reconsidered the fines after the order was issued without consultation from elected members. Councillor Sandra Moore told The Breaker that the decision was “made by an officer” and “should have gone through council process.”
In January, the Home Office published guidance to clarify that PSPOs should not be “used to target people based solely on the fact that someone is homeless or rough sleeping,” adding this does not mean that “such behaviour is having an unreasonably detrimental effect on the community’s quality of life.”
Previously, The Breaker discovered that Southampton City Council has been considering other measures as only one out of 33 people fined since April 2017 have been able to pay.
