Nuisance drivers to be banned from more areas of Canvey Island
Plans have been agreed by Castle Point Council to extend a public space protection order
Nuisance drivers causing “an absolute nightmare” will be banned from more areas of an Essex island, after plans were agreed.
Castle Point Council has agreed to extend its public space protection order to ban the boy racers and nuisance drivers from more areas of Canvey Island including; the Waterside Farm Leisure Centre Car Park, Northwick Road, the Thamesview A130 Business Park and Fenttiman Road.
The council’s current order bans antisocial behaviour by vehicles in the area from Haven Road and Canvey Road to Roscommon Way, including the Charfleets Industrial Estate. The council discussed the plans at a cabinet meeting on August 20.
The council held a consultation on the plans. The meeting heard that 195 people responded to the consultation, 47 per cent said the PSPO had been somewhat effective, 35 per cent said it had not been effective, nine per cent said they weren’t even aware a PSPO was in place and 89 per cent supported extending the PSPO even though their views on how it’s working are mixed.
Russ Savage, councillor for people and community, told the meeting the current banning order has been successful. He added: “After putting in the PSPO, it was obvious that these guys were going to find other locations to go to, and they found three others on Canvey to go to. That being Waterside Farm, Fenttiman Road, and they are causing problems generally around Northwick Road.”
Michael Fuller, councillor for the environment, said it was ‘reassuring’ that the PSPO was to be extended. He told the meeting: “I speak not only as a cabinet member but as a Canvey resident. I live on the western end of the island and anyone who lives in that area will tell you that over the years, it’s been a nightmare at times, an absolute nightmare, with various degrees of success in tackling the problem.
“It’s only really, I think, since the PSPO was originally in place that things actually started to change. I must have made hundreds of calls over the years about this, because I’m within earshot of Roscommon Way and until you hear it you don’t believe it. I know a lot of people will be thinking, what are they talking about, I don’t hear anything. If you’re there and you’ve got three hours of popping, roaring and tyres squealing, between 1am and 3am, you know what misery is about.”