Hackney Council is considering extending a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Wick Woodlands, Hackney Marshes, and surrounding areas to manage antisocial behaviour, noise, and damage to nature. The proposal was discussed at a Cabinet meeting on 23 June 2025, where councillors agreed to launch a public consultation on the matter.
The current PSPO, set to expire in December 2025, aims to address issues caused by individuals, often from outside the borough, who create disturbances. Councillor John Thomson introduced the proposal, stating that the PSPO is a tool to ensure the law-abiding majority can use and enjoy public spaces safe from activities which have a detrimental effect on the quality of their life in the area.
The proposed PSPO includes prohibitions on:
- Unlicensed music events and/or raves
- Destruction or damage of trees, shrubs, plants, or any other flora, fauna, woodland, or wildlife
- Possession, consumption, or sale of nitrous oxide, laughing gas, or CO2 (with exceptions for medicinal purposes)
- Playing loud music, whether or not amplified, through the use of equipment which includes but is not limited to musical instruments, freestanding speakers, sound systems, loudspeakers, microphones, DJ sets or generators.
- Lighting fires, stoves and/or naked flames (with the exception of a cigarette lighter) on any equipment
- Entry of vehicles, including any engine or generator, onto any of the Restricted Areas, with the exception of vehicles/engines/generators belonging to the emergency services or to the Council's employees, agents or contractors.
Mayor Caroline Woodley acknowledged the nature recovery work in Wick Woodlands and the need to protect it. The council will now undertake a consultation before making a final decision on extending the PSPO.