Begging and drinking in Yeovil
South Somerset District Council are seeking your views on a Public Space Protection Orders for Yeovil. In order to control drinking of alcohol on the street as well as street begging, SSDC want to make two separate Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO). Each nuisance needs its own PSPO.
Before doing so, good practise dictates that they ask your views on the proposals. SSDV believe drinking and begging on the streets of Yeovil constitutes a major public nuisance.
Take Part In The Survey Here: SSDC survey
The Council wants to make a Public Space Protection Order to make it an offence to fail to stop consuming intoxicating liquor when required to do so by a Police Officer, Police Community Support Officer or an authorised officer from the Council. It would also be an offence to fail to surrender anything in their possession which a Police Officer, Police Community Support Officer or authorised officer from the Council reasonably believes to be intoxicating liquor or a container for intoxicating liquor when required to do so.
In a separate Order, the Council also wants to make it an offence to approach another person either verbally or through action in order to beg from the other person.
The survey runs until 7th July
THE COUNCIL needs to realise they are a big part of this problem as they have submitted to years of underfunding from Central Government via the lie of austerity, and hence haven’t built social housing, or found sufficient temporary accommodation for those less fortunate, who find themselves homeless through the failure of the economy, loss of jobs, family break ups, addictions to drink or drugs (which also need attention to solve but those agencies are also underfunded) and a myriad other reasons. Rather than sweep the problem under the carpet, if people want beggars off the streets they should be demanding the council acts, not by removal, and financial penalties to people who are already so impoverished they need to forego dignity and beg, but by offering help, accommodation, food and a way forward to a safe and secure life. That’s why we pay taxes. I note also police leaders are calling for the repeal of the Vagrancy Act as its not fit for purpose, and penalises those least able to manage, living in skips, shop doorways and park benches. In 2019 Britain, surely we can show more intelligence and compassion.