Public asked for views on extending Francis Jetty anti-social behaviour order
West Northamptonshire Council has launched a public consultation on plans to extend a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering Francis Jetty in Northampton.
Francis Jetty, located off Bridge Street, provides a pedestrian shortcut between Kingswell Street and the nearby St Peters Way car park. However, the area has long been associated with persistent illicit activity and anti-social behaviour, including drug dealing and sexual assault.
The current PSPO was introduced in April 2023 and allows the jetty to be gated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to the council, the order has played a key role in reducing crime, drug use and anti-social behaviour in the area.
The order is due to expire on April 11, 2026, and the council is now proposing to renew it for a further three years, until April 10, 2029. No changes are being proposed to either the restrictions or the area covered by the order.
A PSPO is a legal power available to councils under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, designed to address activities that have a detrimental and unreasonable impact on people’s quality of life and to help make public spaces safer.
Residents, businesses and stakeholders are encouraged to take part in the consultation by completing an online survey before midnight on February 1, 2026. Feedback will be used to help inform the council’s final decision.
Councillor Charlie Hastie, cabinet member for housing and communities, said the council wanted to hear directly from people who use or live near the area before deciding whether to extend the order.