Police want Newbury's town centre anti-social behaviour order kept for three more years; 42 orders to leave since 2024. Have your say by 9 November.

West Berkshire Council is asking whether Newbury town centre’s anti-social behaviour order should be kept for another three years. The consultation opened on Monday 28 September and closes at midnight on Monday 9 November.

Thames Valley Police asked for the extension. If nobody renews it, the order ends after 31 January 2027. (West Berkshire Council, consultation page)

What the order does

A Public Spaces Protection Order, or PSPO, lets the council set rules for a public area. Newbury’s has one rule. It lets an authorised officer tell someone to leave the town centre for up to 24 hours. The wording is:

“Any person behaving in a manner that has caused, or is likely to cause, nuisance, harassment, alarm or distress must leave the restricted area when requested to do so by an authorised officer for a specified time, and not to return to the area for a period not exceeding 24 hours.”

Being asked to leave is not an offence in itself. Refusing to go, or coming back within the 24 hours, is. That can mean a fixed penalty of up to £100, or a fine of up to £1,000 if it goes to court. (West Berkshire Council, consultation page)

The draft order says an authorised officer means:

  • a police officer
  • a police community support officer
  • someone the council has authorised for the purpose

(West Berkshire Council, draft extension order)

The order used to ban drinking in the street as well. That rule was removed in January 2024.

Where it applies

The restricted area is bounded by the A339 from the Robin Hood roundabout to Station Road, then Station Road, Bartholomew Street, Craven Road, Oddfellows Road, West Mills, Northcroft Lane, West Street, Strawberry Hill, Oxford Street and London Road.

Inside it are, among other places:

  • Northbrook Street, Market Place and Bartholomew Street
  • Newbury railway station and the bus station
  • Parkway and the Kennet Shopping Centre
  • Victoria Park
  • Newbury Library and the Wharf
  • the council’s offices on Market Street and West Street

The full street list and a map are in the draft order.

How often it has been used

The council’s supporting evidence gives the police figures. Since the order was last extended in 2024, officers have issued 42 directions to leave:

  • 12 in 2024
  • 20 in 2025
  • 10 in 2026, up to 19 August

Three breaches were recorded in that time.

Bar chart of directions to leave issued under the Newbury town centre PSPO: 12 in 2024, 20 in 2025 and 10 in 2026 up to 19 August, 42 in all, with three recorded breaches. Source: West Berkshire Council supporting evidence, September 2026, using Thames Valley Police records.
Directions to leave issued since the 2024 extension. Chart by The Newbury Times
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The order first came into force on 1 February 2021. Since then, 87 directions to leave have been issued. Five breaches have been recorded, and a sixth is under investigation.

The council reads the low breach count as evidence that the power works early, before trouble escalates. The paper also notes there is “no recorded negative feedback or evidence of displacement” from the order.

The anti-social behaviour behind the request

Thames Valley Police recorded 683 incidents of anti-social behaviour, and crime linked to it, in Newbury town centre between 1 February 2024 and 31 July 2026. Of those:

  • 326 were classed as ASB Community incidents
  • 47 were classed as ASB Personal incidents

The evidence paper does not break the remaining incidents down further.

Inspector Alan Hawkett, Thames Valley Police’s neighbourhood inspector, said the order “helps officers engage with individuals whose behaviour is causing concern and, where necessary, take action before issues escalate”. (West Berkshire Council, 28 September 2026)

Councillor Tom McCann, the council’s executive member for public safety, said the council wants to hear from people who use the town centre “about whether they feel the PSPO should continue for a further three years or be allowed to expire”.

The two options

The council is offering two choices:

  1. Extend the order for a further three years
  2. Let it lapse after 31 January 2027

Changing what the order covers is not on the table. The council says there is “insufficient evidence to vary the PSPO”. So the consultation cannot be used to bring back the street drinking ban, or to add a new rule.

What it means for you

  • To have your say, fill in the council’s online survey. The council says it takes five to ten minutes.
  • Paper copies of the documents are at the council offices on Market Street and at Newbury Library on the Wharf. Printed surveys are available from both.
  • By post or email, write to the Building Communities Together Team, West Berkshire Council, Market Street, Newbury RG14 5LD, quoting reference PSPO-NTC-2026. The email address is on the consultation page.
  • The deadline is midnight on Monday 9 November 2026.
  • To report anti-social behaviour that is not an emergency, call Thames Valley Police on 101.

The results go to the Building Communities Together Partnership. A council officer is expected to make the final decision before 31 January 2027. The council says a summary of responses and the decision will be published on the consultation page, with results due by 31 January.

Thatcham town centre has its own, separate order. (West Berkshire Council, Thatcham town centre PSPO)

Sources