On the 17th March I reported that finally there was to be action taken regarding the anti social car cruising at Majuba. Car cruising is not to be confused with drivers meeting up and showing off their cars. This is the decades of screeching tyres, blaring horns, racing, loud music and intimidation felt into the evenings and early hours.
Following the recent six week consultation exercise concerning the proposal to prohibit vehicle nuisance activities at Majuba, the council has received overwhelming public support to proceed. They will therefore move to exercise its powers under the public spaces protection provisions of the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing (2014) Act to prohibit vehicle nuisance at Majuba.
Today I received the following information. In total, of the 195 survey responses returned;
- 82.14% supported the council’s proposal (89.22% of respondents living in the immediate neighbourhood were in support)
- 14.88% opposed the proposal (9.80% of respondents living in the immediate neighbourhood were in opposition)
- 2.98% were “don’t knows” (0.98% of respondents living in the immediate neighbourhood were don’t knows)
- The majority (50.26%) of consultees (rising to 66.99% of respondents living in the immediate neighbourhood) had experienced issues related to car cruising events or vehicle nuisance at Majuba car park and the surrounding area during the last 12 months.
The top issues reported by consultees were as follows:
- 85.59% said “people driving at excessive speed” (residents: 90.12%)
- 84.75% said “people deliberately causing their vehicle to spin wheels” (residents: 88.89%)
- 79.66% said “people racing motor vehicles (including motor bikes and quad bikes)” (residents: 81.48%)
- 76.27% said “people dropping litter” (residents: 83.95%)
- 74.58% said “people playing loud music from their vehicle” (residents: 75.31%)
Many consultees reported feeling unsafe when at Majuba car park and in the surrounding area, particularly during the evening and night; and that they had felt alarm, harassment, distress, or to be in danger as a result of these activities.
- 54.12% felt fairly or very unsafe during the evening (residents: 61.77%)
- 60.77% felt fairly or very unsafe during the night (residents: 69.60%)
- 82.57% said “these activities caused me to feel alarmed” (residents: 86.30%)
- 75.76% said “these activities caused me to feel distressed” (residents: 86.60%)
- 61.76% said “these activities caused me to feel harassed” (residents: 69.57%)
- 59.60% said “these activities caused me to feel I was in danger” (residents: 63.64%)
Most respondents experiencing these issues had experienced them at least once a week during the last 12 months:
- 35.90% said they had experienced these issues “2-3 times a week” (residents: 42.50%)
- 22.22% said they had experienced these issues “at least once a week” (residents: 26.25%)
- 13.68% said they had experienced these issues “every day” (residents: 16.25%)
Both Cleveland police and the office of the police and crime commissioner for Cleveland are in full support of the council’s proposal to prohibit these activities; including the proposed hybrid enforcement model, whereby both Cleveland police and the council will carry out enforcement activities and issue fixed penalty notices for breaches.
Accordingly, the council has today (Monday 24 May 2021) given notice of its intention to make a public spaces protection order prohibiting vehicle related nuisance within the proposed “restricted area” at Majuba.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The council will comply with the notification requirements by the following means:
- publication of the notice on the council’s website https://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/resident/neighbourhoods/neighbourhood-services/Pages/PSPO.aspx
- arranging for notices to be posted at various locations within and on the boundaries of the restricted area
The council will contact the 230 addresses directly consulted by post having sightlines toward Majuba or located next to nearby highways providing access to the Majuba area, to let them know the outcome of the consultation, and to invite them to make representations whether or not the proposed order should be made.
Going forward, these are the following timescales:
| Milestone | Estimated completion date |
| Subject to consultation exercise outcome, the council gives notice of its intention to prohibit car cruising related vehicle nuisance activities at Majuba car park, Redcar, by exercising the council’s powers under the public spaces protection provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. | 24-May-21 (done) |
| 28-day notification period concludes | 21-Jun-21 |
| Submit delegated powers record feeding back representations received and seeking approval for the council to exercise its powers under the public spaces protection provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to prohibit car cruising related vehicle nuisance activities at Majuba car park, Redcar. | 25-Jun-21 (tbc) |
| Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (Vehicle Nuisance) Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) 2021 brought into force | 1-Jul-21 (tbc) |
LINKS
Diary of a Redcar Councillor 