A North East Lincolnshire Councillor has praised the rules around cycling in Grimsby town centre following recent fines for those breaching them.
Grimsby town centre is subject to a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which is intended to deal with persistent anti-social behaviour in a local area that is detrimental to the community’s quality of life. These orders do so by imposing conditions on the use of that area to ensure everyone can use and enjoy public spaces without experiencing nuisance and annoyance.
Recently, two men were fined at Grimsby Magistrates Court for breaching the PSPO around cycling. The pair were both given an initial fine in July 2024, but failed to pay, leading to a court prosecution.
Collectively, the pair were ordered to pay £1,128 in fines, a victim surcharge and costs with payment to be made in full within 28 days. However, neither appeared at court:
- Colin Mussell, 49, of Wootton Road, Grimsby, was ordered to pay an £80 fine, £32 victim surcharge and £200 in costs after indicating a guilty plea
- Adam Southwell, 33, of Patrick Street, Grimsby, was ordered to pay a £440 fine, £176 victim surcharge and £200 in costs
“Whilst some suggest these measures are too harsh, there are clear examples of why these PSPOs are in place”, said Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities.
In May 2024, Susan Godfrey was scarred for life by a cyclist who was not abiding by the rules. Speaking about the PSPO after recovering from her injuries, Susan said: “I’m the living proof of why these PSPOs are in place. If that happened to a child or someone older, they could’ve been killed.
“I just hope people will think more about what they’re doing. My arm shows how important it is to not cycle down there, please, just do the right thing.”
In addition, the Council have recently installed a number of planters and living walls to help brighten up Victoria Street as part of the Levelling Up Funding awarded to Grimsby in May last year aimed at greening up town centres.
Councillor Shepherd added: “These planters and living walls ensure that we’re making Grimsby town centre a safer, more welcoming and inviting space for residents and visitors.
“They are also a further example of why the PSPO around cycling is so important. Their installation means the public pathways are slightly narrower than before.
“Whilst there is still ample space for emergency vehicles and other business related vehicles down Victoria Street, it is essential that people respect the PSPO to prevent any other injuries such as the one sustained by Susan.
“We will continue to enforce this alongside our Days of Action and ever improving CCTV system that has aided in a multitude of incidents across the town centre, all of which has paid in to reducing crime by 5% over the past two years.”
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