The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea use a PSPO (Public Space Protection Order) to prohibit busking in much of their borough. In doing so they have criminalised busking with fines of up to £1000. They’re seeking to extend the areas it covers. Once a PSPO is in place you have just 6 weeks to launch an appeal and it gets renewed every 3 years without any further consultation.
Their initial consultation for the PSPO was based on 413 responses to an online survey – that’s less than 0.2% of the population of the Borough. They made no attempt to consult with the wider public e.g. the people who listen to and enjoy the performers, nor the performers themselves.
If you like listening to street music, please make your thoughts known.
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