Residents asked to back anti-social behaviour rules in Southsea parks
Tough new measures could be brought in to curb anti-social behaviour at two Portsmouth parks following incidents of public urination and defecation as well as alcohol-related disorder.
Portsmouth City Council will ask residents if they would support a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) being implemented for Waverley Gardens and Wimbledon Park to tackle the problems, particularly during the warmer months.
Over three years, there were 64 alcohol-related incidents, alongside noise complaints and environmental damage, with residents reporting feeling unsafe and unable to enjoy the parks both located in St Jude ward in Southsea.
The PSPO would introduce restrictions such as banning alcohol, prohibiting public urination, and limiting loud music, likely operating seasonally from March to September.
Speaking at a Portsmouth City Council meeting, community campaigner Denise Perry raised residents’ concerns over the issue, with many feeling “intimidated” walking past groups lingering in the parks.
She said, with the support of local ward councillor Hugh Mason, she surveyed 200 local residents on the report, with a majority supporting a consultation.
The local area is home to supported housing schemes, which help those with drug and alcohol addiction issues.
Cllr Graham Heaney said: “There is sometimes an implied suggestion that when we’re complaining about behaviour – we are somehow unsympathetic to those people that suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. That is not the case.”
He added that residents recognise the issue of addiction and hope that those afflicted can access help, but “there comes a point where the behaviour causes enough of a problem there has to be some boundaries around it”.
Cllr Charlotte Gerada said she’s received “considerable casework” over the last three years in relation to ASB in the parks – despite it not being in her ward.
She added that while she understands supported housing residents need somewhere to live and socialise, “taking drugs and drinking, getting into fights and brawls does not help their recovery or assimilation into community life.”
She feels that, for many years, there has been an “imbalance” of a minority of residents “creating a disproportionate amount of crime and ASB.”
Recounting one of her own experiences at the park, she suggested a dog owner muzzle their dog after it attacked her French bulldog, which resulted in “a round of abuse hurled at me with expletives I won’t repeat”.
She learned that there was little the police could do to address the situation without a PSPO.
She said that, given her experience, she can sympathise with local residents living in the areas and the impact on their lives.
A public consultation is set to begin in May 2026, after which a final decision will be made, which officers said could take up to 12 weeks.