Hastings council rethinks consultation on vehicle sleeping ban

On Monday (March 31), The council’s cabinet agreed to launch a formal consultation on proposals connected with the town’s Anti-Social Behaviour Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).

This consultation had initially been set to seek views about introducing a ban on sleeping in vehicles across the borough.

But on April 2, the council announced a change of course, saying it would consider its approach to the “complex issue” of people sleeping in vehicles as part of a different consultation process.

A spokesman for the council said: “Following the discussions at Cabinet on Monday evening, we have decided that as this is a complex issue we think it is more appropriate to consider our approach to people having to sleep in vehicles across the borough as part of the upcoming Housing Strategy consultation.

“This will also give key stakeholders such as those having to sleep in vehicles themselves, homelessness charities and a wide range of the public more time to respond and submit their views as part of the consultation.”

The consultation on the rest of the PSPO proposals will still go ahead. This includes a renewal of the existing PSPO for a further three years.

It will also ask for views on extending the areas covered by the existing PSPO’s bans on drinking in public places. Three additional areas are suggested: Falaise Gardens and the Bowling Green; Linton Gardens; and an area to the east of Queens Road, including the walled cemetery in Wallinger Walk.

The potential ban on sleeping in vehicles had come in for strong criticism from some of the authority’s councillors, who argue it would effectively ‘criminalise homelessness’.

Several councillors had also argued for the proposal to be dropped from the PSPO consultation during the cabinet meeting.

Cabinet members had pushed back on this view, arguing the proposal was primarily intended to combat antisocial caravan parking.

During the meeting, council leader Julia Hilton said: “I think officers have made it clear that actually using this would be an absolute last resort. It is one of the tools in the box, if we decide to go ahead.

“This has come up as a suggestion in response to complaints from councillors and residents across the town.

“None of us would want to see this being used to force someone onto the streets, but we do have people coming and using our carparks and various places to have a cheap holiday, which for a night or two might be alright, but it does cause problems in the summer in a tourist town.”