Canterbury's proposed city centre order keeps limits on drinking and delivery riders but drops the persistent begging ban. Councillors debate it on 5 November.
Canterbury’s new city centre order would no longer ban persistent begging, under proposals going to councillors on Thursday 5 November. Limits on public drinking, delivery riders and urinating in the street would stay.
The Overview Committee meets at 7pm at the Guildhall. It will discuss a replacement Public Spaces Protection Order and then make recommendations to Cabinet.
The new order is needed because the old one fell apart. The council told members on 22 October that its recent orders were never lawfully made. The report says the current city order is not lawful and should be discharged as soon as possible.
What would stay
The draft keeps these rules inside a mapped area, drawn within the Barton, Northgate, St Stephens, Westgate and Wincheap wards:
- shouting, swearing or acting in a way likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress
- urinating or defecating in a public place, including doorways
- graffiti, fly-posting and unauthorised notices
- anti-social behaviour by delivery riders, including dangerous manoeuvres and excessive noise
- carrying on drinking, or refusing to hand over alcohol, when an authorised person asks
- refusing to give a name and address when an authorised person asks
The report stresses that the alcohol rule is not a blanket ban on drinking in public. It applies only where an officer reasonably believes it is needed to stop nuisance or disorder.
What would go
Persistent begging, including passive begging, would be removed. Officers say quietly accepting donations should not be restricted simply because it happens repeatedly. They say aggressive behaviour can still be dealt with under the harassment rule or other powers, and that outreach work with rough sleepers would continue.
The consultation did not ask a separate question about begging. Officers based this on written comments and on what they say is no longer a continuing problem.
The barbecue decision
Councillors are being asked one open question. Should the order ban fires between 1 April and 30 September?
The rule would cover barbecues, camping stoves, open fires, fire pits, fireworks and sky lanterns in designated public spaces. A separate consultation drew 202 responses, and 92% backed restrictions on barbecues.
The alternative is to leave it out and rely on existing byelaws, signs, education and temporary restrictions when fire risk is high. A byelaw already bans fires in Dane John Gardens, the Norman Castle grounds, Westgate Gardens and Whitstable Castle grounds, but it says nothing on barbecues, stoves, fireworks or lanterns.
Buskers
Amplified music would not be banned. Officers say the feedback did not support restricting street performance itself. Of 58 people who answered on amplification, 58.6% had experienced problems, and 60.3% backed clearer guidance.
The voluntary Busking Code would become a wider Performer Guide, covering preachers as well. It would set a maximum time in one spot, with one or two hours among the options.
What people said
The main consultation ran from 19 June to 11 September and drew 187 responses. Most, 72.2%, came from residents. The report says the results are not a public vote.
| Behaviour | Had witnessed it | Reported a large or very large impact |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery riders | 62.6% | 55.1% |
| Shouting, swearing, harassment | 57.8% | 56.7% |
| Drinking | 52.4% | 45.4% |
| Urinating or defecating | 27.8% | 36.3% |
| Graffiti and fly-posting | 15.5% | 21.4% |
The council and its waste company marked 4,128 graffiti reports as removed in 2025. That compares with 2,361 in 2022.
What it means for you
- If you want to watch, the meeting will be streamed on YouTube. The deadline to register to speak has passed.
- If you paid a fine under the old orders, the position on refunds is separate from this report.
- If the new order passes, breaches could bring a fixed penalty notice of up to £100, the consultation document says. Officers say they would start with information and education.
Cabinet will decide whether to make the order, and when it starts. The council’s assessment gives December 2026 as the proposed start. Any new order would last three years. Councillors are also considering a new dog control order and higher litter fines at the same meeting.
Have your say