Police and council chiefs look to set up ‘task force’ to tackle city centre anti-social behaviour

The move come as Wakefield Council has begun spending millions of pounds on projects designed to increase footfall in the city centre.

Mark Lynam, the authority’s corporate director for regeneration, environment and economic growth, told councillors of the joint action during discussions on how to revive the district’s high streets.

Mr Lynam also told scrutiny committee members of plans to make the city centre more attractive to visitors following a decline in retail premises due to the rise in online shopping

He said: “If you create a nice environment where people want to come and spend time there, they then subsequently spend money in the shops, in the restaurants, in the bars and in the cafes.

“But you have got to create that nice environment first and foremost.

“Online spend is something of a national and global trend. Increasingly, it has affected the decision of retailers on the high street about physical locations

“There is a limit to what we can do. Since Covid we have seen an acceleration of that. We are not the only ones facing that challenge.

“Retail will always be a really important part of town and city centre life but less so than it was ten, 20, 30 years ago.

“We have got to find other reasons why people want to come into our town and city centres and support and develop the retail that we have.”

Ossett councillor Olivia Rowley said: “In Ossett, when people shop, they look as if they feel safe.

“In Wakefield, people say they don’t feel safe.

“I don’t know how you remedy that.

“I acknowledge that there is a problem with shopping, but I do think in terms of people coming into Wakefield it’s a big issue.”

Mr Lynam replied: “It’s a very live issue at the moment.

“Myself and the chief executive (Tony Reeves) are convening a meeting shortly with the police and other stakeholders to start talking about that.

“It takes a significant degree of energy in tackling both the genuine issues and the perception.

“Often people experience city and town centres in different ways.

“A lot of people will walk around and, thankfully, they won’t experience direct anti-social behaviour themselves but they visualise it with people hanging around the city centre.

“Hence why we have got the (public spaces) protection orders in place..

“It’s that perception that makes them feel uncomfortable.”

A public spaces protection order (PSPO) is currently in place in the city centre until 2026.

It was introduced in 2017 to clamp down on drinkers and drug users causing a nuisance to shoppers, residents and business owners.

The order allows police officers to issue on-the-spot £100 fines for those consuming alcohol on the streets.

Mr Lynam added: “It is both the visual element of that, how we work with the police and make sure people are moved on when they are hanging around creating that perception of anti social behaviour, as well as tackling the genuine anti-social behaviour that takes place.”

A number of major city centre projects are already underway after the council secured £24.9m of Levelling Up funding in 2019.

They include the creation of a new public square next to Wakefield Cathedral, the relocation of the city’s library and converting the former market hall into an events venue.

Work to transform the civic quarter by turning the former Wood Street police station into apartments and the old Crown court building into an arts venue is also being carried out

Mr Lynam told Coun Rowley: “We are meeting the police this month to start building a task force around these wider issues.

“We are spending millions in the city centre and other places, but if people don’t feel safe and comfortable then that is a wasted effort.

“So we have to tackle both sides of it. I absolutely agree with you on that. It’s really important.”