Consultation to replace the Expedited Public Spaces Protection Order (E-PSPO) with a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO)

• We asked for your views on whether we should replace the 6-month Expedited Public Spaces Protection Order (E-PSPO), which was due to expire in May 2023, with a 3-year Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
• The council has duties to protect the health and safety of its staff, as well as to promote the health and wellbeing of residents, including those who are seeking vaccination against COVID-19.
• We consulted on these proposals to explore resident views on whether the proposed PSPO would achieve this without unduly weakening the right to peaceful protest.

This consultation had 17 responses. 88.2% of respondents were in favour of the introducing the 3-year PSPO.

Those who agreed with the proposal stated protestors were intimidating and aggressive to staff. Further comments were made regarding the effect on the wider public, including  “One Stockport Hub is a family friendly environment and the aggressive nature of the protests deterred residents from visiting, both for vaccinations and to use the space with their families”, and another saying that the E-PSPO “was very effective in minimising distress to staff and members of the public.” 

The respondents who were both for and against the proposal commented on the right to peaceful protest, and safeguarding staff against intimidation.

Those who did not agree with the proposal questioned whether it was needed for a further three years, given that the intimidating and aggressive behaviour outside the clinics  is vastly reduced.

• On 2 May 2023, the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care considered the responses to this consultation, together with the previous consultation on the E-PSPO.
• The Cabinet Member decided to end the E-PSPO and replace it with a three-year Public Spaces Protection Order.
• This PSPO was issued on 22 May 2023, and can be found at https://www.stockport.gov.uk/pspo/vaccination-centres