City denies Public Spaces Protection Order criminalises rough sleeping

The local authority said its PSPO – which is subject to consultation – was intended to deal with “persistent types of anti-social behaviour which can spoil the experience of using the city centre for residents, businesses and visitors”.

Oxford said: “We have an excellent track record of supporting homeless people and helping them find a bed or a home. The city council spends over £1m on support for homelessness. It is wrong to suggest the proposed Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) would change any of that support. It is also untrue that the proposed Order would 'criminalise' rough sleeping.”

The city council added that it worked closely with a multi-agency team and St Mungo's to help rough sleepers.

“The experience of that team is that a small number of people continue to beg and sleep on the city's streets despite receiving support and having been allocated accommodation,” it said. “It is only that behaviour that would be covered by the proposed PSPO.”

Oxford insisted that its consultation process, which closed on 31 March, had been widely supported, and that before any decision was taken, it would be looking closely at what residents, businesses and visitors had said.

“There is a housing crisis in Oxford and homelessness is a problem here as it is elsewhere. We have made housing our number one priority and remain committed to helping the homeless get off the streets,” it said.

PSPOs were made available under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Police and Crime Act 2014.