No one has been fined for breaching a Plymouth-wide public spaces booze ban in the six years it has been in operation.
Plymouth City Council is consulting on whether to extend the current Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for a further three years when it expires in October.
The ban was brought in to stop alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour and anyone who doesn’t stop drinking outdoors when told to do so risks a £100 on-the-spot fine, or £1,000 if it goes to court.
But the council told PlymouthLive that “in most cases” people do stop and no one has been fined since the PSPO came into force in 2020.
Instead, those breaking the order are placed on a joint council and police “anti-social behaviour escalation process”, which provinces support to address underlying issues and only results in enforcement for repeat offenders
A council spokesperson said: “In Plymouth, neither the police nor the council issue fines for breaches of the alcohol-related antisocial behaviour PSPO.”
The spokesperson added: “The PSPO gives the police and other authorised officers the power to require a person to stop drinking alcohol in a public place or to surrender any alcohol on them in order to prevent anti-social behaviour from occurring or continuing.
“Where this direction is complied with, there is no breach of the PSPO, and no further action is taken. In most cases, people do comply with these requests, meaning enforcement action is not needed.
“Where a direction is not complied with and a breach does occur, a range of responses are available. This includes use of the joint council and police anti-social behaviour escalation process, which prioritises proportionate and informal interventions in the first instance. However, breach of a PSPO is a criminal offence and the police retain powers of arrest.”
The council said that, as far as it knows, no one has been convicted of a criminal offence for breach of the PSPO. The spokesperson said: “The majority of people comply with the order, so further action isn’t necessary.
“The anti-social behaviour escalation process will be used if a person breaches this, which uses civil tools and powers in the first instance.
“There is the potential for civil powers to escalate into criminal convictions, however these are convictions for breach of orders opposed to convictions for breaches of the PSPO.”
The PSPO, first introduced in 2020 and renewed in 2023, gives authorised officers powers to help prevent alcohol-related disorder in public spaces.
This includes asking people to stop drinking alcohol and hand it over if it is believed it may contribute to antisocial behaviour.
It is an offence for anyone to refuse to stop drinking booze or hand over any bottles or cans believed to contain alcohol, when required to do so by a police officer or authorised officer.
As explained, anyone who breaches a PSPO can be fined £100 on the spot, or up to £1,000 if it goes to court.
The council stressed that the PSPO is not a blanket alcohol ban, but focussed on antisocial behaviour and not activities such as picnics in a park.
The authority is seeking views from residents, businesses, partners and organisations on how well the order is working and whether it should continue.
The consultation is asking for feedback on:
how effective the current PSPO isthe extent to which people feel affected by or concerned about alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviourwhether the PSPO should be extended for a further three years, and if so, whether it should remain in its current format.
The PSPO applies across the entire city and is intended to address alcohol-related antisocial behaviour wherever it occurs but is not aimed at any specific group or community, the council stressed.
Feedback gathered during the consultation will help inform a decision on whether to renew the order beyond October 2026.
Three years ago, a public consultation resulted in 85%of residents and 88% of partner agencies agreeing that the order was required and it was subsequently renewed.
People can take part in the consultation by visiting https://plymouth-consult.objective.co.uk/kse/folder/1001 .
The deadline for feedback is June 21, 2026.
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