Community protection warnings and notices
Community protection notices (CPNs) and community protection warnings are designed to stop a person aged 16 or over, business or organisation committing antisocial behaviour (ASB) that spoils our community's quality of life.
This can include offences such as noise nuisance, eyesore rubbish on private land and antisocial behaviour.
A CPN can be issued by council officers, police officers, police community support officers (PCSOs) or social landlords, if designated by the council.
We can issue a CPN include in instances in which an individual, business or organisation’s behaviour is:
- having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality
- unreasonable and
- of a persistent nature
Before a CPN can be issued, the person, business or organisation suspected of causing the problem must be given a written warning stating that a community protection notice will be issued unless their conduct changes and ceases to have a detrimental effect on the community. The warning will also detail that a breach of a CPN is a criminal offence.
If the person, business or organisation fails to comply with the warning, we will then issue a community protection notice.
The notice will list the following requirements:
- to stop doing something specified and/or to do some specified action
- to take reasonable steps to achieve a specified result - either preventing the unacceptable conduct from continuing, or preventing the likelihood of it recurring.
If a recipient of a CPN fails to comply with its requirements, the council may take action to ensure that the failure is remedied.
Failure to comply with a CPN can lead to a court summons and, on conviction, can result in a fine of up to £2,500 for individuals, or £20,000 for businesses. On conviction, the magistrates’ court would have the power to order forfeiture and destruction of any item used in the commission of the offence – for instance, noise equipment.
A fixed penalty notice may also be issued for this behaviour (maximum £100 fine).
An appeal against a CPN or its terms can be made to a magistrates' court within 21 days of issue.
CPNs were introduced by the ASB, Crime & Policing Act 2014, and launched on 20 October 2014.