Dangerous bike riding could be banned in Surrey town centre
Draft new rules have been announced to tackle antisocial behaviour in Guildford
Dangerously riding a bike or scooter on Guildford high street could be banned under new rules to tackle antisocial behaviour in a Surrey town centre.
Guildford town centre has public space protection orders (PSPO) aimed at tackling persistent antisocial behaviour that affects others. First introduced in 2022, Guildford Council is seeking to extend the order for another three years.
Under the new rules people will not be allowed to ride a vehicle, bikes, scooters or wheeled toy in a manner which police or council officers believe to be dangerous or anti-social. Enforcing the new measures will make public spaces feel more safe and welcoming, the council said.
Surrey students railed against the initial proposed restrictions on bikes, skateboards and scooters in pedestrian areas. They said some of Guildford’s community is already “resistant” to the Beryl Bikes scheme and extending the PSPO will “disincentivise people from using sustainable travel”.
But after careful re-wording the officers clarified that bicycles were not being singled out as inherently the problem but rather just vehicles in general.
“We’ve got a difficult balancing act here,” said Cllr George Potter at an executive meeting on March 27. “Obviously riding a bicycle across Stoke Park is very different to riding it through a crowd of people on a pavement.”
Boundaries for the PSPO cover the town centre, Stoke Park and some neighbouring residential roads, and the Mount (a residential area and green open space). The new draft measures also include Black Cat Alley, near the bottom of Farnham Road – where there have been reports of antisocial behaviour.
Restrictions on drinking alcahol in public spaces will be extended in the new draft PSPO. Surrey Police and council enforcement officers could now be able to stop someone from drinking alcohol, after being told not to, by confiscating or disposing of the drink and even giving them a fine of up to £500.
Cllr Julia McShane, leader of the council, said she would not want members of the community, who perhaps have “addiction challenges, who gather with their friends in certain places in the town” be moved if their behaviour was not causing alarm or distress to people. She said moving people “because they are there” would not show an inclusive community.
Officers assured councillors the wording of the PSPO specifically relates to people acting in a manner which is “causing or likely to cause alarm, harassment or distress to others” judged by the enforcement team.
Concerns were raised how the new PSPO might limit freedom of expression and the right to protest. But officers said the new measures will not be applied to any activities done in the form of demonstration.
Surrey students had also slammed proposed rules that would have seen students banned from being in groups of two or more people in the town centre which could “cause harassment, alarm or distress” to other people.
A statement from the president of the Student Union lambasted the council for also trying to enforce restrictions on people’s clothing which could be concerning for members of the community who wear clothing that covers their face or hair for religious purposes.
After the student union’s response and comments from other residents, the council agreed to remove the proposed restrictions. Only 62 people responded to the public consultation out of Guildford’s population of around 143,600.