Councillors have rejected a move to introduce an order to ban begging in Bridport and Dorchester, saying that to do so would ‘criminalise’ those living on the street.

Members of West Dorset District Councils Overview and Scrutiny Committee unanimously voted against including the “provision of a restriction on begging” in an anti-social behaviour Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) at a meeting yesterday.

The order would give authorities powers to issue an on-the-spot fine to persistent beggars in a certain area.

The recommendation was put to the committee after the full council decided to put on hold the proposed ban as part of the PSPO back in August.

The PSPO also covered restrictions on drinking and feeding seagulls – though these aspects of the order were both passed unanimously by the full council.

The recommendation will now go to the council’s Strategy Committee for a decision to be made on the proposal on begging.

Before the committee vote, council officer Peter Davies said that a public consultation on the matter highlighted that people living in the district had been affected by begging.

He added that “not everyone in the streets are without residence or benefits” and that some “just refuse to engage with the council services.”

However, members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee roundly condemned the proposal on begging – which particularly aims to address “persistent” and “nuisance” begging.

Cllr Dave Rickard said: “We need to actually deal humanely with those in poverty and deal with the root causes. I think this is a sledgehammer to crack a nut and I would like to see this taken out of the PSPOs completely.”

He added: “We have laws on aggression on the street. We just do not need this.”

Cllr Ros Kayes said: “I agree, we should take this out altogether and we should investigate as to why people are on the streets. In Bridport people go up and chat to them and offer them support. For people in Bridport the idea that these people are aggressive parasites is not the case.”

Cllr Tim Harries said: “I have to say, having lived in Dorchester, I have never ever been approached by a beggar and never an aggressive beggar.”

He added: “It’s entirely inappropriate to go ahead with this and criminalise people for begging.”

Mr Davies also warned that Weymouth and Portland Borough Council will also be considering such an order in a PSPO, which may cause more beggars to move to West Dorset.

However, after the meeting Cllr Daryl Turner, chairman of the committee, said that if any problems regarding begging arose in the future, members could always revisit the decision. 

Not only was the recommendation rejected, but Cllr Kayes, Cllr Molly Rennie and Cllr David Taylor volunteered to begin an examination by the committee of why people are begging on the streets of the two towns.