Public Space Protection Order Car Cruising 2026

Overview

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, 2014, gives councils the power to create Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO’s) when antisocial behaviour in a designated area becomes detrimental to the local community.

The PSPO effectively imposes restrictions on activities and behaviour in the designated area which apply to everyone who wishes to enter and use that area.  It provides additional powers and options to Council officers and police when communities are faced with antisocial behaviour.

It can be enforced either by the police or by Stockport Council who have the authority to issue penalty notices for a minimum fine of £100 per offence.

Court action can be taken if appropriate. Upon summary conviction a fine can be imposed by a Magistrates court to a maximum of £1000.

Stockport Council put in place a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to deal with car cruising on 17^th March 2017. This followed on from significant concerns from residents and businesses about large scale gatherings of cars at town centre car parks. In addition to the disruption at the car parks, the meetings were also characterised by dangerous driving both on site and in the Town Centre as people arrived and left.

The PSPO was reinstated in 2020, and again in 2023.  It was successful in reducing harm to the community caused by car cruising.  Before the PSPO was set up, car cruises were weekly events.  In the last 5 years, there were an average of 9 car cruise events each year.  However, each car cruise event causes significant risk to the community.   At one car cruise event, in December 2023, 55 fixed penalty notices were issued.

The existing PSPO expired on 17^th March 2023, and we are now consulting on our proposal to reinstate the order for a further three years until 4th May 2029.  A final decision on whether to extend this PSPO will be made by the Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing. 

‘Car Cruising’ means two or more vehicles (including motorbikes) being on a highway, or a publicly accessible place within the Stockport Area, defined in the map attached at which any such vehicle, or occupant of a vehicle, performs any of the activities listed in Clause 3 below, which causes, or is capable of causing, any of the prohibited consequences set out in Clause 4 below.

Participating in ‘Car Cruising’ means being the driver of, or being carried in (or on) a motor vehicle (including motorbikes) in circumstances in which Clause 1 above applies.

The prohibited activities referred to in Clause 1 are:

1. speeding
2. driving in convoy
3. racing
4. performing stunts
5. sounding horns (as to cause a significant public nuisance)
6. playing music (as to cause a significant public nuisance)
7. using foul or abusive language
8. using threatening, intimidating behaviour towards another person, or
9. causing obstruction on a public highway, or a publicly accessible place, whether moving or stationary

Click on the link below to view the detail of the proposed PSPO:

Proposed PSPO

Stockport boundary

If you require a paper copy of the consultation please contact: adam.cunningham@stockport.gov.uk