Alcohol ban extended to cover historic Horsham street

Anti-social behaviour in one of Horsham’s most historic streets will be tackled by extending the reach of a Public Space Protection Order.
St Mary's Church and The Causeway, Horsham. Steve RobardsSt Mary's Church and The Causeway, Horsham. Steve Robards
St Mary's Church and The Causeway, Horsham. Steve Robards

Such orders are used when a nuisance is being caused and affecting people’s quality of life and can ban activities such as drinking alcohol or letting dogs off the lead.

At a meeting of the cabinet, Horsham district councillors voted to extend an existing order to ban the drinking of alcohol in The Causeway and the Gardens of Remembrance at St Mary’s Church.

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Tricia Youtan, cabinet member for community matters & wellbeing, told the meeting that the change was being made in response to ‘a very well known upset in the town centre which is a group of people in The Causeway who really are upsetting people’.

While the council had been ‘pretty powerless’ to deal with the problem before, the extended order could lead to fines of up to £500 for anyone who refuses to follow the new rules.

Other changes to the order will see unlicensed busking banned in the town centre as well as the selling of periodicals – though it will not apply to those who sell The Big Issue.

It will also cover anti-social behaviour and nuisance behaviour in car parks and stairwells.

Mrs Youtan said the changes would go out to public consultation and should be in place by April 1.