Sutton's draft public spaces order would curb loudspeakers on the High Street, barbecues in five parks and dogs in Overton Park. Comments close 18 December.

Sutton Council is asking residents what they think of a new borough-wide order on anti-social behaviour. The consultation opened on 23 October and closes on Friday 18 December.

The order would replace the 17 street-drinking orders that expired on 20 October. It goes much wider than drinking. It covers dog fouling, nuisance riding, loudspeakers on the High Street, barbecues in parks and fishing in Beddington Park.

You can read the draft and fill in the survey on the council’s consultation page.

When the plan went to councillors for the 5 October committee, the list of parks and every map were still marked “to be inserted”. We reported that draft in September. The consultation draft now names the places, with a plan of each.

What would apply across the whole borough

The draft order is called the “London Borough of Sutton Public Spaces Protection Order (Anti-social Behaviour) 2027”. In every public space in Sutton, it would be an offence to:

  • behave in a way that causes harassment, alarm or distress after drinking, or refuse to stop drinking or hand over alcohol when told to
  • fail to pick up after a dog straight away
  • fail to keep a dog under “proper control”
  • ride any bike, e-bike, e-scooter, motorbike or quad bike in a way that causes, or is likely to cause, nuisance or distress
  • refuse to give a name and address, or give a false one
  • refuse to leave an area when told to, or come back within 24 hours

What would apply only in named places

Rule Where
No amplified sound that causes nuisance, including busking, street preaching, public speaking and music from vehicles Sutton High Street area, Beddington Park
No dogs at all Overton Park and Recreation Ground
No fires, barbecues, fire pits, camping stoves or shisha burners Beddington Park, Oaks Park, Queen Mary’s Park, Rosehill Park East, Roundshaw Park
No driving motor vehicles or towing caravans or trailers Beddington Park, Rosehill Park West, Roundshaw Downs and Nature Reserve
No fishing, magnet fishing or carrying fishing tackle Beddington Park, Elm Ponds
No parking outside marked bays, and no overnight parking Beddington Park, Cheam Park, Rosehill Park West
No using charged sports facilities without booking and paying Cheam Recreation Ground, Overton Park and Recreation Ground, Sutton Common Park

Overnight in those three car parks means 9.30pm to 7.30am from April to October. From November to March, it means 7pm to 7.30am.

What it does not ban

The council’s questions and answers say the order is “not a ban on walking your dog or letting them off-lead in general open park spaces”. It is not a ban on cycling or e-bikes ridden responsibly. It is not a ban on having a drink or a picnic in a park.

On noise, the council says the order “does not ban everyday music, personal headphones, or town centre life”. The loudspeaker rule would not apply to:

  • council-approved civic events
  • the emergency services
  • hearing and communication aids
  • political demonstrations and other lawful protest
  • processions notified to the police

Assistance dogs are exempt from the dog rules, and mobility scooters from the riding and park-driving rules. Drinking in pubs and on licensed pavement seating stays legal.

Fines

Officers would first ask people to stop. The council says that refusing “will likely result in” a fixed penalty notice.

The note attached to the draft says a fixed penalty could be up to £500, with the exact amount to be set by the council. If a case goes to the magistrates’ court, the maximum fine is £1,000. The police and council-appointed officers would enforce it.

Equipment such as a loudspeaker can be seized. If the owner does not ask for it back within 28 days, it can be destroyed.

What it means for you

  • To have your say: fill in the online survey by Friday 18 December. For a paper copy or help, email safersutton@sutton.gov.uk or call 020 8770 5000.
  • If you walk a dog in Overton Park: this is the one park where dogs would be banned outright. Say so now if that affects you.
  • If you busk, preach or perform on the High Street: the draft rule covers sound amplification equipment, such as speakers, microphones and megaphones. It says nothing about performing without them.
  • Nothing changes yet. The council says no offences or areas have been decided. The report to councillors in October planned for a start in March 2027, with enforcement from 1 April.

Sources