A crackdown on anti-social behaviour in Eastwood is under review as Rotherham Council launches a public consultation on the future of a controversial Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), with long-standing issues like street drinking, shouting, and even bins being left out too long still causing concern.

The PSPO, first introduced in 2019 and renewed in 2022, was one of the first in the country to allow fines for residents who failed to bring their wheelie bins in on time. The unusual clause was brought in following complaints from locals about litter, pests, and fly-tipping linked to abandoned bins.

Despite the order being in place, anti-social behaviour has continued to rise in the Fitzwilliam Road area, prompting a fresh consultation to assess whether the current rules should be kept, strengthened, or dropped entirely.

In its first three years, 60 fixed penalty notices were issued, and a public consultation at the time showed almost 90 per cent of respondents supported tighter controls. Yet the problem hasn’t gone away.

placeholder image — Fitzwilliam road, Rotherham

New figures from South Yorkshire Police show that complaints of anti-social behaviour in the area have been rising, and peaked in 2024.

The area covered by the PSPO includes Fitzwilliam Road and stretches to the River Don behind Eldon Road, Doncaster Road, and up to the Mushroom Roundabout.

A new consultation, running from 22 April to 20 May, will help the council decide whether to extend, change, or scrap the current order. Residents, businesses, and community groups are being urged to have their say on what restrictions, if any, are needed.

Council officers say they’re particularly interested in whether the existing powers remain effective, and if additional measures are needed to reflect the community’s current concerns.

The results will be brought to cabinet in July, with any new or revised order due to come into effect before the current one expires in June 2025.