Council Leader "makes no apologies for trying to make Rochdale a more welcoming place"

Photo: Journeaux

Rochdale town centre

Councillor Richard Farnell, the leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said a controversial swearing ban in the town centre is an attempt to make Rochdale a more welcoming place for people to enjoy and clamp down on a small minority of antisocial ne’er-do-wells who drunkenly shout and swear and harangue shoppers in the town centre.

He added: “I make no apologies for trying to make Rochdale a more welcoming place for people to enjoy and this is supported by the overwhelming majority of local residents. The council is spending £250 million transforming Rochdale town centre and we are not going to let a small number of drunken and abusive idiots spoil it for everyone else. Offensive and abusive behaviour is already an offence, but police resources are stretched in dealing with this low level crime. We are working in partnership with them to use our powers to deal with this more effectively.”

Lara ten Caten, legal officer for human rights group Liberty, accused the council of a misuse of power. She said: "These proposals are a staggering misuse of power which would unjustifiably curb the rights and freedoms of Rochdale residents.

"The swearing ban is so vaguely defined it would prove impossible for anyone to know whether they were breaking the law or not, while a blanket ban on begging will criminalise some of the most vulnerable people in the town.

"Public Spaces Protection Orders are blunt instruments incapable of alleviating hardship or providing support. Sadly they are regularly being used to sweep anything or anyone 'inconvenient' from the streets."

"Until the government opens its eyes to the harm these powers cause, it's up to our local authorities to act responsibly."

Councillor Farnell, hit back at civil liberties group, saying: “With all the horrific human rights abuses happening around the world right now, I would have thought Liberty had bigger things to worry about."