Salford drops swearing ban from new Salford Quays PSPO
Salford City Council has dropped its controversial ban on swearing in the Salford Quays area with the publication of a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for the locality.
The previous order which came into effect in 2016 and expired this year, prohibited the use of “foul and abusive” language in the area covered by the PSPO. It was criticised by some groups at the time for the “chilling effect” the order may have on free speech and also for the lack of guidance on what constituted foul and abusive language.
Anyone caught breaching any of the prohibitions in the PSPO faced a fixed penalty notice of £90 (£60 if paid within 10 working days) or summons to court with a maximum penalty if convicted of a £1000 fine. However, it is believed that no fines were actually levied for swearing in the period that the PSPO was in force.
The new PSPO came into effect on 25th July 2019 for three years and gives police and enforcement officers the power to hand out £100 fixed penalty notices for a number of offences including interfering with lifesaving equipment or throwing items into the water, jumping into the water from bridges and authorised swimming.
