PEOPLE taking part in ‘car cruising’ in Longwell Green and elsewhere in South Gloucestershire will face stiff fines.
The council has introduced an area-wide Public Space Protection Order prohibiting car meets, in which drivers and spectators gather in car parks or other public places to race, perform stunts, or show off their vehicles.
This means that police or council officers can issue a fixed penalty notice and £100 fine to anyone who breaks the ban, reducing the £75 if paid within 10 days. Those who do not pay could be taken to court where they could be fined up to £1,000.
The Order has been brought in following a public consultation last year to which more than 500 people responded, with 63 per cent supporting a ban.
Police had asked the council to consider a ban because of the high number of calls officers were receiving about car cruising activities: 378 in a 15-month period, relating to 202 separate incidents, with Gallagher Retail Park being one of the most affected sites and Asda car park also cited.
The Order has been made under section 59 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 .
It applies to all land within the South Gloucestershire boundary which is open to the air (including land which is covered but open to the air on at least one side), to which the public are entitled or permitted to have access, with or without payment and by express or implied permission. As a result of feedback received through the consultation, the order includes an exemption for motorsports clubs and other genuine events.
Car cruises can involve any of the following prohibited activities:
• Causing a danger or risk of injury to other road users, including pedestrians, by speeding or racing
• Causing damage or risk of damage to property
• Speeding or racing on the public highway
• Performing stunts, including but not limited to, doughnuts, manoeuvre drifting, skidding, handbrake turns or wheel spinning
• Sounding horns or the playing of loud music so as to cause a nuisance
• Revving of engines so as to cause a nuisance
• Causing obstruction on a public highway or publicly accessible land.
Cabinet Councillor Sean Rhodes said: “This Order will help the council and police tackle the anti-social behaviour arising from car cruise gatherings, which can be dangerous for those involved and has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality.
“Our consultation showed that residents are concerned about the anti-social behaviours and potential safety risks associated with these gatherings. Events can result in pedestrians stood at the side of the public highway or within the confines of a publicly accessible car park who gather to watch the stunts take place, without any consideration to their own or public safety. The risk of injury or death from a collision, as a result of a stunt, is high and exponentially increases when factoring in the numbers that can gather at these events as a driver, passenger and/or spectator.
“These often spontaneous events also place a significant demand on police and council resources. They are not attended by Ambulance or private First Aid teams and are not regulated by any public body to ensure health and safety is adhered to.”
Insp Matt Boiles, from Avon & Somerset Police Roads Policing Unit, said: “We are committed to working closely with South Gloucestershire Council and our partner agencies to tackle the anti-social use of vehicles, which poses a significant risk to the safety and wellbeing of our communities. This new Public Space Protection Order is a crucial step in ensuring that our roads remain safe for everyone and that those who engage in dangerous and disruptive activities face appropriate consequences.”
The Order will be in place for three years, unless extended under the statutory powers.