Council cracks down on busking and begging in city

Buskers, beggars and unauthorised Big Issue sellers will now face restrictions in Nottingham as the council tries to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.

Nottingham City Council said there had been problems with people demanding money, busking loudly and publicly defecating in the city centre.

The authority said Nottinghamshire Police had recorded more than 3,000 incidents of anti-social behaviour in the area between December and June 2026.

The authority will now bring back a public spaces protection order (PSPO) for the city centre, which will give it powers to punish certain behaviours through fines of up to £1,000.

Colin Parr, the council's corporate director of communities, environment and resident services, said "a significant proportion" of the police incidents related to nuisance behaviour, intimidation, unauthorised requests for money, disorder, and other forms of street-based anti-social behaviour.

"The council's community protection officers (CPOs) report persistent issues of obstruction, unauthorised requests for money, nuisance busking, and public urination and defecation," he added.

But their power to tackle this had been reduced when the existing PSPO expired last year.

The council said it had not been renewed because of an IT problem at a "critical stage in the process".

In May the authority consulted on bringing in a new PSPO, and it will come into force this week for another three years.

It gives council officers the power to hand out fines in a particular area covered by the order, and these can carry a maximum penalty of £1,000.

It bans activities including selling the Big Issue without permission and blocking public spaces, as well as limits on where busking can happen.

Anyone asking for money, including for charity, will need council permission, after concerns about collectors being "persistent or intrusive", the authority said.

It will cover an area from Mansfield Road just short of the Forest Recreation Ground to the north, the area up to Victoria Park bordering St Ann's to the east, the area around the railway station up to Meadows Way to the south, and finally the streets around Nottingham Castle, including Derby Road, to the west.

Councillor Matt Shannon, executive member for community protection, neighbourhoods and equalities, added: "Public spaces protection orders are an important part of our toolkit to respond to anti-social behaviour.

"By bringing in these restrictions, we will make our city centre safer and more welcoming for everyone, whether they live here, work here, or are visiting."

A ban on face coverings and balaclavas is still being considered, and does not form part of the PSPO.

This ban is expected to come into force by the end of the year if it gains enough support.

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