Measures to tackle antisocial behaviour in Sheffield city centre have been hailed a success, but concerns remain about the impact on vulnerable people.
Introduced in April 2025, a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) gives the council power to take action against people caught engaging in activities, including aggressive begging, drug use and loitering.
Figures covering the first 18 months of the PSPO show the number of breaches recorded dropped from a monthly average of 381 during the first six months to 186 following that.
However, one charity helping people battling addiction and homelessness said while improvements had been seen in the city centre some of the problems had moved elsewhere.
The order covers the whole of the city centre from Shalesmoor, out to Park Hill, down to London Road and Ecclesall Road and over to Upperthorpe and Walkley.
Anyone in breach of the PSPO can be moved on and could be fined up to £100.
Alex Lumsden, outreach manager at Ben’s Centre, said his original concern had been that vulnerable people would simply be moved elsewhere rather than helped to address the causes of their circumstances.
However, he said the impact had proved more complex than he had expected.
While fewer people appeared to be congregating in some of the busiest parts of the city centre, he believed some activity had shifted to nearby streets rather than disappeared altogether.
“We’re happy to see anything that makes the city centre a more pleasant, peaceful, welcoming place to be,” he said.
“But people still have the problems.”
