The order covers illegal e-scooter use, irresponsible driving in parks and open spaces, and gives authorised officers wider grounds to intervene. For anyone who has watched a souped-up car careering through a residential street or a teenager weaving through pedestrians on an unlicensed e-scooter, this is the kind of news that prompts a careful, "let's see" rather than a round of applause.
What actually changes on the ground
PSPOs are not new to the borough. Grimsby town centre already operates one that prohibits cycling in certain areas, and Immingham town centre has conditions on language deemed a breach. What is new is the vehicle-focused scope: anti-social driving, nuisance vehicles, and the illegal use of e-scooters on roads and streets.
That scope is being matched by tools. On North Promenade, where reports have been particularly heavy, the council reports that fines have been issued, an Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera is now in place, and officers have used Section 39 notices — powers that prevent a driver from returning to a specific location for up to a year, or risk having the vehicle taken away. Add the PSPO on top, and the paper trail between nuisance behaviour and consequence should, in theory, get shorter.
The numbers worth knowing
Vehicle-related anti-social behaviour locally rose from 241 incidents in 2024 to 314 in 2025. That kind of year-on-year climb is not a rounding error, and it is not something the council can wave away.
The council also points to a public survey in which 96% of respondents agreed the new order should be brought in. A figure that high invites a sceptical eyebrow. Was it a representative sample? Was the question leading? Residents are entitled to straight answers on methodology before treating it as community intelligence rather than consultation theatre.
Straight answers owed, and what to report
Councillor Oliver Freeston, Leader of the Council, said: "People should not be made to feel unsafe in the neighbourhoods in which they live. These orders are the Council's way of helping to make sure this isn't the case. We know how frustrating and intimidating nuisance vehicles can be, particularly when they are used irresponsibly in parks, open spaces and other areas where people should be able to walk, relax and spend time safely. By working alongside Humberside Police, there is nowhere to hide for those who feel this is acceptable behaviour."
Words are easy. Visible presence, consistent enforcement, and clear data on outcomes are what residents will judge this by. If the PSPO is to mean anything beyond the press release, the public should expect — and demand — published figures on Section 39 notices issued, fines levied, and vehicles seized over the next twelve months.
In the meantime: if nuisance vehicles or illegal e-scooter use are blighting your street, report it. Note the time, the location, and if safe to do so, a partial registration. That community intelligence is what makes the new powers more than an expensive deterrent — it gives the officers on the beat something to act on.