A CITY-WIDE crackdown on nuisance drinking and anti-social behaviour should be extended to a Dines Green play area which has been blighted by the problem, a St John’s councillor has claimed.
City and county councillor Richard Udall has called on council chiefs to extend the alcohol by-laws currently being reviewed by Worcester City Council to the play area outside the Green Centre.
Coun Udall made the call after asking parents who use the play area with their children to air their views on the problems they face and 90 per cent backed his demand.
“Residents have claimed older children and young adults, congregate at the play area and drink alcohol, cans and broken bottles often litter the play area after they have gone and their presence intimidates legitimate users,” he told the Observer.
“It is a public place, it’s where children play. They should not have to run circles around broken glass and litter associated with the older children.
“We have invested in youth projects and activities for older children, we have supplied activities and we would be happy to consider more activities for them. But they are imposing themselves onto an area not designed for them.
“We need them to stop abusing the play area and allow younger children to use it.
“The City Council invested a lot of money providing the play area, and it is well used, but many parents claim they don’t use it because of the problems.”
Council chiefs have launched a consultation on the proposed introduction of strict no alcohol zones in the city.
Following a law change, the authority is now looking to introduce Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) as previous alcohol exclusion order areas which covered the city centre and a large section of Warndon have expired.
The PSPO order stops people drinking in the designated area and also means when asked a person has to surrender to a police officer any container in their possession used to carry alcohol.
His calls have been echoed by fellow St John’s councillors Coun Matthew Lamb and Coun Chris Cawthorne and will be considered as part of the city wide review of new sites which could be protected by the by-laws which do not allow the consumption of intoxicating alcohol in public places.
“Dines Green needs a community pub, somewhere where locals and families could go to enjoy a drink. Since the Coppertops closed the area has been without a pub,” Coun Udall added.
“I will work with developers to find a location for a new community pub; but that is the place people should be drinking, not in a play area designed for children.”
* What do you think? E-mail [email protected] with your views.
