From June 29, local authorities in England will have the power to issue fines of up to £500 for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), more than double the current maximum of £100. The change comes under the Crime & Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on April 29 and is being phased in.
John Roberts, Chief Services Officer of Kingdom Local Authority Support, warned that many people may be unaware of the new penalties. “The legislation increases the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice level for breaches of PSPOs and Community Protection Notices from £100 to £500,” he said. “This brings PSPO-related offences more in line with other environmental enforcement powers, such as littering.”
PSPOs are used by councils to prohibit behaviours such as dog fouling, public drinking, and littering in designated areas, particularly in city centres and university-residential areas. Breaching a PSPO is a criminal offence, and from June 29, councils can set penalties at the higher rate where appropriate.
Roberts advised the public to check online whether a PSPO is in effect in their locality. “If you feel you’ve been wrongly issued an FPN, general practice allows you to appeal in the High Court within six weeks,” he added.
The Act also grants police new powers, including entering premises without a warrant to track stolen items via GPS or Bluetooth, accessing cloud accounts from seized devices, and testing detainees for a wider range of drugs. Senior police officers can now restrict protests based on cumulative disruption from multiple groups.
