Borough-Wide Anti-Social Behaviour PSPO Proposed
Would give council officers and police extra powers
The borough Law Enforcement Team would be able to exclude people from an area for 24 hours. Picture: H&F Council
September 15, 2025
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has launched a public consultation on a proposed borough-wide Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), aimed at addressing persistent anti-social behaviour and improving public safety. The proposal forms part of the council’s wider Crime Fighting Strategy, which includes an annual £7 million investment in community safety initiatives.
The proposed PSPO would introduce new restrictions across public spaces in the borough. These include measures which aim to deter aggressive or persistent begging, prevent loitering in groups where intimidation or harassment is reported, and restrict the use of face coverings intended to conceal identity for the purpose of causing alarm or distress. Exemptions would apply to individuals wearing face coverings for religious, cultural, or medical reasons.
If implemented, the PSPO would empower council officers, the Law Enforcement Team (LET), and police to issue warnings and £100 fixed penalty notices to individuals who breach the order. Repeat offenders could face prosecution and fines of up to £1,000. Officers would also be able to exclude individuals from specific areas for up to 24 hours.
PSPOs were introduced nationally under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, giving local authorities the power to restrict behaviours deemed detrimental to public life. In Hammersmith & Fulham, the council has previously implemented several targeted PSPOs following resident consultations.
Current PSPOs in the borough include:
- A borough-wide order addressing street harassment, designed to improve safety for women and vulnerable groups.
- A PSPO regulating alcohol consumption in public spaces, aimed at reducing disorder and supporting responsible drinking.
- A responsible dog ownership PSPO, introduced in 2023, which addresses dog fouling and off-lead behaviour in parks and open spaces.
- Area-specific restrictions on amplified busking and street entertainment, particularly in Hammersmith Town Centre, Shepherds Bush, and White City.
- A PSPO banning motorised vehicles along pedestrianised sections of the Thames Path, to protect public access and safety.
These existing orders have been enforced by the council’s Law Enforcement Team in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, and have formed part of a broader strategy to balance public enjoyment of open spaces with the need to address nuisance behaviour.
The council is now seeking resident feedback on the proposed borough-wide PSPO, with the consultation open until midnight on Friday 24 October 2025. Responses will be confidential and anonymous, and will help shape the final decision. An easy-read version of the consultation will be made available shortly, and alternative formats can be requested via csu@lbhf.gov.uk.
The council has stated that the proposed measures are intended to support safer, more inclusive public spaces, while ensuring enforcement powers are used proportionately and with sensitivity to individual circumstances.
Further details and access to the survey are available on the Hammersmith & Fulham Council website.
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