Maidstone Renews Town Centre and Dog Control Rules for Another Three Years

Maidstone Borough Council has approved the renewal of two Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), both taking effect from 29 September and running for a further three years, following decisions published on 21 September.

The borough-wide Dog Control PSPO, which was due to expire on 19 October, continues rules covering dog fouling, the requirement to carry bags to clean up after a dog, leads in designated areas including the town centre, exclusion from children's play areas and tennis courts, limits on how many dogs one person can walk at once, and fixed penalty notices for breaches. Officers say the order remains the primary mechanism for enforcing dog fouling rules in the borough following the repeal of the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.

The Town Centre PSPO, covering Allington and Bridge, Fant and Oakwood, High Street and Penenden Heath wards, retains its existing restrictions on begging and street drinking, first introduced in 2017 and previously renewed in 2020 and 2023. It's enforced jointly by Kent Police, the council and One Maidstone. A public consultation running from 27 February to 26 April drew 361 responses, with 93.1% in favour of keeping the existing measures; 16 respondents raised concerns that genuinely homeless people could be unfairly targeted by the begging provision, which the council's report addresses by pointing to its Homeless Support Service and says the order is used as a tool of last resort rather than against people sleeping rough.

The council's decision papers cite 2025 town centre crime figures showing anti-social behaviour down 13.1% and violence against the person down 14.9% on the year before, while shoplifting rose 10.3% - a rise officers link to the cost-of-living pressures driving more thefts of essentials like food, alongside greater business confidence in reporting incidents. Source: Maidstone Borough Council - Dog Control PSPO decision, Maidstone Borough Council - Town Centre PSPO decision