Two independent councillors and two Conservatives have submitted motions calling for a crackdown on antisocial behaviour in Newport city centre, including a proposed ban on balaclavas, tougher restrictions on begging and street drinking, and a boost in community safety wardens.
The independent councillors, Mark Howells and Allan Morris from Lliswerry, said they had reported "sustained" problems involving drug use, intimidation and "aggressive" begging. They claimed antisocial behaviour was connected to some homeless people who need support but have been placed in temporary accommodation "least suited to their needs".
Proposals and Councillor Demands
In their motion, the independents said a "significant proportion" of antisocial behaviour was "linked to single homeless individuals with high support needs" who are being accommodated in the city centre. They noted that the council previously employed community safety wardens or estate rangers whose roles were lost to budget cuts, and that other Welsh authorities, including Rhondda Cynon Taf, have since reintroduced similar warden teams and directly funded additional PCSOs.
The pair's proposal includes demands for the council to examine city centre security, "re-establish" wardens, request additional PCSOs to patrol the vicinity, and identify "better suited" temporary accommodation alternatives elsewhere.
In a separate proposal, Conservative councillors Matthew Evans and William Routley expressed deep concern about antisocial behaviour and wished to see the area's public space protection order (PSPO) reinforced to incorporate "a ban [on] face coverings, stronger wording in relation to the consumption of alcohol on the streets, and begging".
Labour Response and Operation Krypton
Ahead of a debate on the motions, the council's ruling Labour group stated a recent clampdown had proved effective and warned against critics "doing the city down". A Labour spokesperson challenged the reasoning behind the motions and labelled the independents' assertions "yet another cheap political shot at the hardworking businesses that keep Newport city centre going".
The spokesperson said Operation Krypton had resulted in more than 250 arrests over the summer, with people sent to prison, fines issued, and businesses reporting a visible improvement in the atmosphere and visitor experience. They added that businesses and facilities were reporting increased footfall, particularly over the last six weeks, attributed to greater police visibility, BID ambassadors, the effectiveness of the current CCTV system — which is set for significant investment — and the willingness of businesses to work together.
PSPO Consultation and Trader Concerns
The Labour spokesperson noted that the council's existing budget had allocated additional funding for community wardens, acknowledged there was "more work to do", and urged opposition councillors to "get on board". Addressing the Conservative motion, the spokesperson accused the Tory group of "grasping around for negative social media content rather than getting involved with the hard work that actually delivers for Newport".
The consultation on renewing the PSPO for the Market Arcade is currently open, and the Labour spokesperson said that while they do not necessarily disagree with some of the points, "that is precisely where those ideas should be put forward, so they can be properly considered". The motions come as a number of traders have recently been targeted in multiple thefts across the city centre, with one trader saying the issue had become so bad she believed she had no choice but to close her shop permanently.
