Demanding action on the ramp
For far too long, the ramp on York Road leading into Middleton Grange has been plagued by individuals who seek to intimidate and disrupt the daily lives of decent, hard-working people. I am fed up with hearing about families and pensioners feeling too scared to walk through our town centre due to the behaviour of a small minority. Whatever their personal challenges, they have no right to make the people of Hartlepool feel unsafe in their own community.
As Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, I have proposed a comprehensive action plan for our police and Council to implement. This plan includes a range of targeted interventions designed to tackle the issue head-on.
Last week, I also voted in favour of Labour’s Police and Crime Bill, which significantly strengthens the powers available to our Police, Council, and other local partners.
One key measure in the action plan is the use of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), which allow us to prohibit certain behaviours in and around the ramp. The Bill reinforces this tool by increasing the maximum fine for violating a PSPO from £100 to £500, ensuring stronger deterrents against anti-social behaviour.
I am also pushing for the greater use of other enforcement powers, including dispersal orders—which the Bill extends from 48 to 72 hours—and Community Safety Accreditation Schemes. These schemes grant police enforcement powers to Council, shopping centre, and other security teams, helping to free up police resources for more serious incidents.
Another crucial provision in the Bill is the introduction of the Respect Order—a new civil behavioural order that allows courts to ban adult offenders from engaging in specific anti-social activities. Breaching a Respect Order will be a criminal offence, enabling police to swiftly intervene and prevent further disruption. Importantly, these orders can also include positive requirements, compelling offenders to address the root causes of their behaviour—an approach particularly relevant to the ramp, where drug-related issues are often at the core of the problem.
Beyond these measures, the Bill also tackles wider issues such as off-road biking, fly-tipping, and child protection—topics I will address in the coming weeks.
These problems are not easy to fix, but with the Police and Crime Bill, we now have the toughest set of enforcement powers ever introduced by a Government. It is our duty to use them to their fullest extent.