On-street drinking, begging and nuisance dog owners could be a thing of the past...

New public space protection orders are to be rolled out across Pendle to tackle disorder in town centres, parks and playgrounds over the next two years.

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Residents caught drinking in public places could face on the spot fines, with police given the powers to move on anyone who breaches the order.

Councillors will also be asked to run the rule over whether dogs should be banned, or placed on a lead, at the likes of play areas, nature reserves, sports grounds and parks.

An issue has often arisen with young men wandering the streets with ‘trophy dogs’, off the lead, which can cause concern for passers-by, which could be addressed.

Currently there is a similar order, focusing on public urination, skateboarding and ‘chuggers’, in force across Burnley town centre.

Community leaders welcomed the ‘excellent’ plans adding the orders would be a ‘useful tool’ to tackling ongoing nuisance.

Cllr Tony Greaves, Pendle Council’s deputy leader, said: “It is real anti-social behaviour that we are talking about here.

“We don’t want to be too draconian and stop people handing out leaflets, or having a stall to promote their cause.

“We don’t want to be anti-democratic about this. This is Pendle so it will go out to our area committees, so we can be thorough and look at the issues in each particular town.

“And then it will fed back centrally, so we can take an overview, and bring some common sense to bear, so you would have similar approaches in Nelson, Colne and West Craven.”

Cllr Eileen Ansar, a Labour cabinet member, said: “This should be a very useful tool in tackling anti-social behaviour across the borough.

“But we need to be careful with some of the proposals, especially around dogs, to strike the right kind of balance between the different interests.”

Under the proposals, which will be debated by each of the five area committees this month, Barnoldswick and Earby would be the first two centres to adopt the measures, with Barrowford, Brierfield, Colne and Nelson following on in 2017/18.

Similarly sports grounds such as Bullholme, Swinden, Holt House, Trawden, Hodge House and Edge End would be covered in the first year, and parks from Ball Grove and Alkincoates to Marsden, Walverden, Victoria, Victory and Hard Platts in the second.

Cllr Joe Cooney, the borough’s Conservative opposition group leader, said: “The work for this began two years ago and we think that this will be an excellent idea.

“We have been trying to deal with a number of issues in Pendle, from anti-social behaviour to dog fouling, and these public space protection orders will address them.”

Tim Horsley, the council’s neighbourhood services manager, warned that the introduction of the orders, which would replace various dog control and public drinking ordinances, might provoke debate.

He said: “The extent to which they deal with significant concerns to the public and the measure of general public support for them are important considerations.

“Some may well be quite controversial and prompt widely differing public views.”

Councillors have been told that it will cost around £10,000, over the two years, to install the necessary signage at each affected location.

Once a report is placed before the council’s executive in September, and assuming it is approved, a public consultation exercise would occur in November, and the first orders could begin next April.

The penalties for ignoring the orders is an on-the-spot fine. Other authorities have set this at £100 but the final total has yet to be determined in Pendle. If the fine is not paid then court action can be taken to retrieve the debt.

Speaking on the Burnley order as it was launched, Cllr Mark Townsend, the borough council leader, said the order was about making Burnley town centre ‘as welcoming as possible’.