Thant District Council (TDC) has passed the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) as part of a rift on anti -social behavior in the region.
A part of the order, including tourist hotspots such as Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstare, is a great crime for not avoiding using foul and derogatory language when requested by a police or council officer.
At a cabinet meeting in Margate on Thursday, councilors exploded recent media reports that the authority was trying to implement a blanket swearing -in ban, calling them “a mountain of rubbish”.
Labor councilor Heather Kein called the report “dissatisfied, wrong and designed to attract attention”.
“Let me be clear, the police station is not banning the swearing -in or stopping the free speech,” he said.
“The reference to dishonest and derogatory language applies only when it is creating harassment, alarm or crisis for another person – otherwise it is an accidental oath.”
During the meeting, it was also emphasized that such PSPO is not new, has been present in this area since 2018.
Neither it is unique, with similar orders in places like canterbury and dartford, with other parts of the country, the meeting heard the meeting.
However, in August 2024, the TDC’s efforts to renew and recreate their PSPO were with the threat of a legal challenge from the campaign group The Free Speech Union, which referred to concerns about the violation of potential human rights.
The TDC then laid the proposed amendments for public consultation, and Keen described the measures of the new order as obtaining “heavy support” from local people and businesses.
“Every year our residents tell us that we feel safe is a top priority and we have heard it,” he said.
A TDC spokesperson said: “The PSPO will be implemented after the required legal notice period and indications will be displayed at major places to explain the rules.
“Enforcement officers will engage with any person who behaves antisocial in the first example, only with fine is issued when the behavior continues.”
