Reading Borough Council has rolled out a suite of measures targeting antisocial behaviour, fly-tipping and retail crime, each shaped directly by what residents said in the annual Community Safety Survey. A new borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order, an environmental enforcement pilot that has already delivered a tenfold rise in fines, and fresh funding for retailer support networks are among the schemes now in place.
The PSPO came into force in March 2026, handing the council and Thames Valley Police extra powers to tackle five specific issues: aggressive begging, anti‑social use of e‑bikes and e‑scooters, street drinking, dog fouling and dog control. So far officers have needed to issue only 16 verbal warnings and 13 written warnings. “The Public Spaces Protection Order and Environmental Enforcement Partnership are brand new initiatives which have come about thanks to resident input,” said Lead Councillor for Community Safety Finn McGoldrick. “We now want to build on that success by focusing again on the issues and places residents want to see improved.”
The Environmental Enforcement Partnership with Kingdom Local Authority Support began in September 2025. Five dedicated officers patrol hotspot areas every day, including weekends and public holidays, issuing Penalty Charge Notices at a rate the council says has risen tenfold over previous enforcement levels. The scheme is being extended as a direct result. The council has also increased funding for the Townsafe Radio scheme and Reading Business Against Crime to provide retailers with better training and intelligence, a response to concerns about crime in supermarkets and shops.
At the same time the Community Safety Partnership secured a grant from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to deliver self‑defence training for community representatives throughout 2026, aiming to empower women. The Reading Safe Space initiative, staffed by First Stop and Street Pastors volunteers, continues to offer support to vulnerable visitors in the town centre at night. A previous PSPO ran from 2018 to 2021 but the council acknowledges it fell short because of a lack of enforcement. Between June and December 2024 the authority logged 116 reports of aggressive begging alone, a figure that helped shape the stronger approach now operating.
The new Community Safety Survey is live and residents can complete it at www.reading.gov.uk/cspsurvey26.
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