Buskers reassured as public spaces protection order is renewed

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

Welsh musicians hoping to follow in Ed Sheeran’s footsteps have been assured their dreams will not be hindered by the renewal of a Welsh city’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

The PSPO has been approved for renewal for another three year spell by Wrexham County Borough Council’s Executive Board.

It is designed to make the city centre a safer place by placing restrictions on anti-social behaviour including behaving in a manner causing harassment, alarm, nuisance or distress, using intoxicating substances (excluding tobacco and prescription medication), loitering in a state of intoxication, urinating or defecating in a public place, rough seeping and consuming alcohol on the street.

But the order also grants wardens the power to challenge buskers playing their music too loud, with fixed penalty notices of £100 and further fines of £500 and £1,000 enforceable.

Impact

When Wrexham Council’s Executive Board debated the proposal Cllr Jerry Wellens – a keen guitarist – expressed concern at the impact including busking in this could have on aspiring musicians in the city.

He said: “Maybe I should have declared an interest at the beginning as a musician myself who has busked many times in the past when I was younger.

“Busking is actually a part of many vibrant and successful city centres and I just want some reassurance that busking is not going to be included and that the wardens will not be going around closing down buskers.

“Whether the PSPO is a good thing or not – the likes of Ed Sheeran would not be a superstar now had it not been for his ability to busk.”

In favour

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard, said he was in favour of busking in the city centre but said the inclusion was there to grant powers for the occasions where there are complaints.

He said: “I don’t think we’re going to go against the buskers.

“I go into town sometimes, especially in the summer, and I sit there on the benches and I listen to the music.

“Unfortunately, other people have a different perception and tolerance than us. I don’t think that the music is loud from the buskers, but some individuals do, and they complain, and we have to include that within the report.

“Personally I enjoy the music, I enjoy buskers. I think it’s nice, especially when the sun’s shining, to sit there and listen to the music and long may that continue.”

Council officers assured members that Chase Services – the private contractor employed to provide PSPO wardens – would not be cracking down on musicians entertaining visitors to the city centre.

They said: “Obviously, wardens have discretion when they’re acting in regard to busking; it’s not an automatic ticket.

“The PSPO is more regarding antisocial behaviour and how that behaviour is perceived by others. So if there are complaints made with regard to them actually just busking, then there is officer discretion around that.”