Car cruising Public Spaces Protection Order extended

Crawley Borough Council has extended a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) prohibiting the anti-social use of vehicles. 

The PSPO was introduced in 2019 because businesses and residents had been affected by vehicles gathering in large groups and drivers engaging in anti-social use of vehicles, particularly in Manor Royal Business District and Tilgate Park.

The behaviour associated with car cruising damaged private and public land and caused a danger to pedestrians and other road users.

The PSPO has now been extended for another three years following consultation including with the public, businesses, Sussex Police and West Sussex County Council.

Between March 2019 and October 2021, 146 car cruise incidents were reported to the police and a further 131 incidents were reported to the council. Since 2019 the council has issued 83 breach of PSPO warning letters and 32 fixed penalty notices. 

The order means it’s an offence for anyone to:

• Participate in car cruising or a car cruising event
• Encourage any other person to participate in car cruising or a car cruising event
• Congregate to watch car cruising or be in attendance to watch a car cruising event
• Attend a car cruising event to supply or sell to those present any food, drink, goods or services
• Urinate in a public place while participating or attending a car cruising event

Breaching the PSPO is a criminal offence and congregating to watch a car cruise event is also a breach of the order. The council will take any breaches very seriously.

Engaging with any of these activities anywhere on any public highway, car parks or any other land to which the public or any section of the public has access, may result in a fixed penalty notice. 

If a person is believed to have engaged with the prohibited activities, they are required to give their name and address to a police officer, police community support officer or other person designated by Crawley Borough Council. They may also be required to leave the area.

For more information about the Public Spaces Protection Order in Crawley visit our Public Spaces Protection Orders page.