Thread by @Andrewwood17

Good news or is it on NOX canisters?
At last TH Council has done something about the little silver canisters that litter our streets & are often linked to anti-social behaviour
But why did it take so long & why it may have little impact & why TH is so frustrating?
A new PSPO
1/

Public Space Protection Order was approved on Wednesday by the Mayor, it will ban the use of NOX nitrous oxide that people inhale via balloons from the canisters
It provides a short high so users have to keep inhaling more of them (& then for some reason do not pick them up)
2/

But NOX does have some negative health impacts
talktofrank.com/drug/nitrous-o…
& some of those who use NOX also cause anti-social behaviour, cause loud noise etc & a few have been violent when asked to keep the noise down
There is no need for it to be inhaled close to peoples homes
3/

NOX is currently not illegal to use (also used in food preparation) so the Police have no formal powers to stop their use
But as Lambeth did in July 2015 (6 years ago!) Councils do have the power to introduce Public Space Protection Orders to deal with specific ASB problems
4/

So in September 2018 @going4golds & I using our then new ability to debate certain issues ask the Council to copy Lambeth & introduce a PSPO to ban NOX use, see Item 8
democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ieListDocument…
Last pic with red is Labour amendment who say they will consider
Nothing happened
5/

364 days later in September 2019 Cllr Golds & I raise another motion after Residents Survey shows ASB now number 1 concern of residents, Item 8
democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ieListDocument…
We ask again for improvements on ASB & remind Council of previous motion in 2018
Not much happens
6/

But behind the scenes a number of Council officers who used to work at Lambeth moved here
Then in response to PSPO on responsible drinking a number of people suggested extending it to NOX (I suggested this to residents at the time & did as well)
Then last September TH
7/

street cleaning teams were asked to record where they found NOX canisters (see 1st map but note where NOX left in private areas not recorded)
As you can see a big problem = evidence required to justify a PSPO + correlation with Police ASB report locations as well 2nd map
8/

Then a consultation earlier this year resulted in 948 responses, one of the highest responses ever to a Council consultation (thanks to those who completed it)
So clear evidence to support a ban on NOX canisters
Will start as soon as signs can be put up warning users
9/

“Person(s) within the Restricted Area will not:
Ingest, inhale, inject, smoke, possess or otherwise use psychoactive substances (e.g. nitrous oxide) and which is causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance or annoyance to members of the public”

Note ‘and’
10

This only applies in public areas
So if you do this in your own home or do not cause any impacts to public then this ban will have no impact
So why may it have little impact?
See answer below to my 2nd question
Most Police Officers won’t even be told about their new powers!
11/

Most Police officers to be told about new powers rarely work nights
So when Police respond (maybe) to a late night call about a group of noisy young men inhaling NOX they won’t be able to issue or threaten the use of Fixed Penalty Notices if NOX users do not stop
12/

The whole point of the PSPO is to move the usually late night NOX parties away from residential areas to other areas where residents are not trying to sleep
(most NOX use is by young men in cars, they can easily drive elsewhere to industrial parks, shopping centre car parks)
13/

So some positive action which could have happened in 2015 took TH Council until April 2021 to action despite it being an issue of rising concern for years
But then most Police officers working nights wont be using the new powers or even know about them!
Police do 2 year shifts
14

& they only have to be told how to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice
Cabinet meeting where this was approved was also very interesting & frustrating (I switched off as not happy with comments except for those from the Mayor)
See from 48 minutes 50 seconds in
towerhamlets.public-i.tv/core/portal/we…
15

But in report this interesting map showing heat map of reported ASB from last September
Why are Cllrs in worst areas not doing more?
Also why not a higher political priority then liveable streets when you look also at Residents Survey results from 2019 about top concerns?
16/

Forgot to add link to Cabinet Report with detail Item 6.4
democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ieListDocument…
And the penalty for breaching a PSPO is a £100 fixed penalty notice
17

Sorry wrong link to 2019 report
Use this one

democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ieListDocument…