Ashford Church Yard Passage Image: Google
Ashford Borough Council wants to hear your views on whether to continue closing the gate to the Church Yard Passage at night to prevent anti-social behaviour.
The passage, which runs from the High Street to the churchyard, has been gated between 9:15pm and 6am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for the last six years. This was done after residents complained about people causing trouble, drinking and urinating in the area.
The council and the police say that the gate has helped to reduce the number of complaints and make the area safer and cleaner. They want to renew the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that allows them to close the gate and take action against anyone who breaks the rules.
A PSPO is a legal tool that lets councils ban certain activities in a specific area that are harmful or annoying to the public. Anyone who does these activities can be fined or prosecuted.
The council is asking for your feedback on whether to keep the gate closed at night or make any changes. The consultation started on 28 July 2023 and will end on 13 August 2023.
Cllr. Liz Wright, who is in charge of communities and health, said: “We want to make sure that our town centre is a safe and pleasant place for everyone at all times. The gate has been effective in stopping anti-social behaviour in the passage, but we need to hear from you if you agree or disagree. Please take part in the consultation and let us know what you think.”
Residents can find out more about the consultation and take part in it via https://haveyoursay.ashford.gov.uk/2023pspo_churchyard. If they do not have access to the internet, they can either visit the Civic Centre to use one of our computer terminals or pick up a hard copy.