A ban with fines of up to £100 for breaching it has been approved which will stop people from off-roading in an area of publicly accessible land in Mansfield. Nottinghamshire Police say that residents in the town have regularly reported the use of off-road bikes and other vehicles as being a problem in an area known as The Desert.
The land is located near the Oak Tree estate in Mansfield, where residents have said they are plagued by a whole host of other anti-social behaviour problems. But at a Mansfield District Council meeting on Tuesday, September 20, an off-roading ban was approved.
It came as part of a review into the council's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which has now been renewed and which will last until 2025. PSPOs are used by councils to ban certain activities within a defined area.
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Issues which are covered by Mansfield's PSPO include the drinking of alcohol and begging in public places. Failing to clean up dog mess and cycling through pedestrianised areas in the town centre at certain times are also among the offences covered by the PSPO.
But during the six-week public consultation held on the PSPO back in June, off-roading in The Desert emerged as a particular concern. Councillor Marion Bradshaw, the portfolio holder for safer communities, housing and wellbeing at Mansfield District Council, said: "The behaviour of off-roaders at The Desert has been raised by residents as a cause for concern for some time, and the landowners and police are fully supportive of the council's proposals in the new PSPO.
"As well as being an obvious danger to people on foot, these vehicles also cause much danger and disturbance to the wildlife in the area. Now, with the approval of this order, it can be given a chance to flourish."
Council officers and the police will be able to fine or prosecute people if they are committing offences. People could receive a fixed penalty notice of £100.
Inspector Kylie Davies, the Nottinghamshire Police district commander for Mansfield, said: "People who drive and ride off-road vehicles illegally in our parks and other green spaces are not only a nuisance, they are also a considerable danger to other members of the public and to themselves.
"There are many things we already do to tackle this selfish and antisocial behaviour, including seizing bikes when people are behaving in an anti-social away. This new protection order will make it easier for us to do this by giving us the power to order riders away from the area – regardless of how they are behaving.
"If people don't comply then we will seize their bikes. Our off road team will maintain a regular presence in the area in the coming weeks and months to enforce the law and gather evidence against those who continue to ride illegally."
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