Coventry City Council is asking residents, businesses and visitors for their views on whether a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering the city centre should be renewed for a further three years, taking it through to November 2029.
A consultation, which runs until 26 July 2026, is inviting people of all ages to comment on proposed changes to the existing order.
The Council says the changes are designed to simplify the rules, making them easier to enforce and ensuring they focus on behaviour that is aggressive, intimidating or causes a nuisance, rather than simply someone being present in the city centre.
Under the proposed update, new restrictions could be introduced on the use of loudspeakers, microphones, megaphones and other amplification equipment. The order could also place restrictions on temporary structures such as gazebos, stalls, canopies and display stands, unless they have been authorised by the Council.
Cllr John McNicholas, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion, said the PSPO runs for three years and is often updated based on feedback from businesses and city centre visitors.
“Existing restrictions on e-bike use has helped in recent years but this is still a problem, and I hope that the recruitment of more community officers will help us enforce dismount rules more rigidly in the city centre,” he said.
“We also want to target aggressive, intimidating as well as nuisance behaviour and we will be really interested in what people have to say.
“The city centre is an important location and needs to be welcoming for everyone and a place where people can travel easily and safely and enjoy everything it has to offer.
“We are working with the Police and Business Improvement District. PSPOs give agencies and the Police the opportunity to issue fixed penalty notices to riders guilty of an offence as described in the Order.”
Offences under the Public Space Protection Order
Anyone found guilty of an offence under the order would, on summary conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
A Fixed Penalty Notice of £100 would be issued to offenders, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days, which would discharge any liability to conviction for an offence under Section 67(1) of the Act.
The order, which may be cited as “The Public Space Protection Order (City Centre)”, would come into force on a date of commencement to be confirmed and remain in force for a period of three years.
Have your say
The Council said feedback received through the consultation would help shape the future of the PSPO, ensuring it continues to address the issues that matter most to communities while supporting a fair and proportionate approach to tackling anti-social behaviour.
Whether people live in Coventry, work in the city centre, own a business or regularly visit, the Council is encouraging them to take part. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete, and every response will help inform the Council’s decision on the future of the order.
People can have their say by completing the at https://letstalk.coventry.gov.uk/city-centre-pspo-renewal-2026. The consultation closes on Sunday 26 July 2026.
The consultation comes during national ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) Awareness Week. The Council is also currently recruiting for Community Safety Warden roles, with details available on the Coventry City Council Jobs website.
