An order has been approved by Lincoln City Council to stop anti-social drinking in the city centre.
The Designated Public Place Order has given police new powers to confiscate alcohol, issue fines or arrest people on the spot if they fail to comply with the restrictions.
The council has been considering the action since August 23, 2011 when the police, Lincoln Business Improvement Group and ward councillors presented a case for a DPPO. A local resident was also at the meeting with a petition signed by 80 people.
The area covered in the city centre stretches between Newport Arch, St Mark’s shopping centre, Broadgate and Brayford Bridge.
Vicar of St Peter-at-Gowts church, the Rev Jeremy Cullimore, has praised the council’s decision, but says more should be done to tackle the reasons why people are drinking anti-socially. He said: “We’ve been going out there and chatting to them and finding out why they’re in the mess they’re in.”
“[We’ve had] some success, we’ve got three currently who are on long-term detox and rehab.” Mr Cullimore believes that simply moving people on only tackles the “symptom and not the problem.”
“One thing I think we should all bear in mind is the people who are on the streets drinking didn’t do this as a career choice. It’s the result of a number of actions in their lives. So we’ve got to remember to keep treating them as human beings who are in need.”
It was announced in October that the Framework Housing Association had recieved £562,000 from the government to help combat drinking on the streets and to provide sensitive services to help alcoholics in the area.
The charity will also set up a 15 bed housing scheme to help people who are homeless or could become homeless as a result of their drinking.
Mr Cullimore said: “I’m very pleased and quite proud of the mature way the City Council have approached this.”
