New powers to tackle nuisance

New powers will come into force in late October giving ordinary citizens the power to trigger investigations into anti-social behaviour and councillors now hope to agree a threshold for a “community trigger” to prompt investigation.

Coun Cheryl Little, Fylde Council cabinet member for social wellbeing, said: “This puts real power into the hands of residents.

“Under new legislation victims of anti-social behaviour will be able to use the community trigger to request a review of their case.

“Agencies, including councils, police, local health teams and registered providers of social housing will have a duty to undertake a review of how they have dealt with a case when the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome and the case meets the locally defined threshold.

“At the same time there are a number of new powers given to councils and police to tackle the problem.

“People have often said that anti-social behaviour is too difficult to tackle but these new powers give greater power to residents to demand action and greater powers to the authorities to provide solution or resolution.”