Misuse of Public Land Public Spaces Protection Order

Spelthorne Borough Council is proposing to extend the Misuse of Public Land Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), originally introduced in 2024, for a further year.

The PSPO currently bans the use of tents and barbecues on public land, and imposes restrictions on the parking of taxis and private hire vehicles in the Borough.

The proposed restrictions, and the reasons for them, are set out below:

Section 1 – Tents and similar structures

Primarily during the summer months, Spelthorne Borough Council receive complaints in relation to tents or similar structures being erected on public land. Occupants of the tents or similar structures have been reported to use shrubbery within the public space they occupy as a toilet, litter in the area, and restrict parts of the public space which is designed for the use of all. Due to the issues caused, Spelthorne Borough Council has been forced to employ the services of a specialist cleaning firm on several occasions, costing thousands of pounds.

The Council is proposing to extend the ban for a period of one year on the erection of any tent, bivouac or similar structure on any of the Council’s parks or open spaces, the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) of Dumsey Meadow, Shepperton and Shortwood Common Staines, and Staines Moor.

Exemptions would apply for any event/group that have been given consent by the landowner to use the land.

Section 2 – Barbecues

Spelthorne Borough Council regularly receive complaints during the summer months in relation to the irresponsible use of barbecues on public land. The use of cooking equipment involving naked flames, especially during the summer months, is extremely hazardous, particularly in biodiversity sites around the Borough where a single stray spark could be disastrous. Damage has also been caused to Council property including unsightly burn marks to grass areas, and partially melted picnic benches. 

The Council is proposing to extend the ban for a period of one year on the use of any device for cooking that utilises a naked flame, including barbecues and camping stoves on any of the Council’s parks or open spaces, the SSSIs of Dumsey Meadow, Shepperton and Shortwood Common, Staines, and Staines Moor. 

Exemptions would apply for any event/group that have been given consent by the landowner to use the land.

Section 3 – Taxis and private hire vehicles 

Due to the rise of private hire companies such as Uber, Spelthorne Borough Council has seen a steady increase in the number of taxis and private hire vehicles using residential areas around Heathrow airport to park and await customers. This has led to reports of vehicles left idling for long periods of time, littering from vehicles, and occupants urinating and defecating in hedgerows and bushes in residential areas. There is currently a specific car park at Heathrow Airport for taxis, and an Authorised Vehicle Area has been set up for the use of private hire vehicles at a reasonable cost. 

The Council is proposing to extend enforcement of an exclusion zone for a period of one year within which no taxi, private hire vehicle or other vehicle carrying paying passengers will be allowed to park. This zone will encompass the entirety of Stanwell Moor, and parts of Stanwell particularly affected by the parking of these vehicles. 

Exemptions would apply where:

• a vehicle is dropping off or picking up a fare within the exclusion zone
• the owner or driver of the vehicle resides within the exclusion zone; or
• the business operating the vehicle is based within the exclusion zone