Council to impose restrictive covenant in leases barring sale of legal highs

A council in the South West is to include a restrictive covenant for all premises it lets forbidding the sale or distribution of ‘legal highs’.

Taunton Deane Borough Council will also contact all local and national commercial landlords and ask them to include a covenant in all new lettings within the area.

The moves follow the reported unanimous passing of a motion on ‘legal highs’ proposed this week (9 December) by Cllr Federica Smith and seconded by Cllr Simon Coles.

The motion stated: “This Council recognises that there has been an impact on the community and welfare of our residents through the ongoing sale of NPS (Legal Highs) within Taunton Deane. We recognise that the South West Action Group has played an important part in bringing the negative impact of these to our attention. We have a duty to remedy this situation through restricting the sale of these substances along with assisting those affected.”

The motion also called on Taunton Deane to “immediately make use of new powers available under Anti-Social Behavioural (ASB) legislation which includes ensuring that a community trigger is put in place by the end of December 2014”.

Other steps proposed included ensuring that a multi-agency team with the Police, NHS and other third parties meets on a regular basis to discuss ASB within the town and look to make remedies.

The motion also suggested that the authority work with Somerset County Council to ensure the introduction of an educational programme for schools, colleges and youth provision providers to ensure impacts and dangers of ‘legal highs’ are addressed.

Last month the City of Lincoln Council launched a consultation on the introduction of a Public Space Protection Order that would ban the taking of ‘legal highs’ in the city centre.

The authority said the PSPO – brought in under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 – would not just be restricted to alcohol consumption and allowed to tackle a wider range of issues.