The council and police have joined forces to take action over driving meet-ups and anti-social behaviour
A spate of nuisance driving meet ups and related antisocial behaviour (ASB) in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield has prompted Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council to take action.
Working with Kent Police to stop the racers in their tracks, the council has issued more than 40 fixed penalty notices of £100 to individuals that attended the meet ups. Kent Police have also put dispersal orders in place to give them the power to move anyone on who is gathering in this location.
The regular speeding and racing in New Hythe Lane often saw more than 50 vehicles gathering at a time. The scale of these events created excessive noise and traffic disruption, posed a threat to life through reckless driving and impacted the quality of life for residents.
The council can issue fixed penalty notices to anyone found breaching the rules of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs). PSPOs prohibit antisocial behaviour including unauthorised vehicle meetings, across the borough to ensure that people can enjoy public spaces safely.
Cllr Des Keers, Cabinet Member for Community Services says: ‘Speeding and racing in New Hythe Lane has been of huge local concern. The noise from revving exhausts and worry about using the road was impacting residents’ lives. By working with Kent Police we have been able to take swift action to address the issue.’
The council is committed to keeping ASB rates low through the work of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP). As the lead authority in the CSP, the council works with partner authorities including Kent Police, Kent Fire & Rescue, Kent County Council and various housing groups to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime and support victims of domestic abuse.
In 2023 the council purchased four mobile CCTV cameras with £20,000 of its £1m grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Deployed to various locations known for anti-social behaviour for up to six months, the cameras have been a powerful tool in helping with cases like this, by identifying areas of concern to council enforcement teams and providing evidence to pass on to the police.
Cllr Keers continues: 'We're determined to use all the tools at our disposal so that people don’t have to put up with anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods. By targeting problem areas through mobile CCTV and working proactively with Kent Police we aim to improve quality of life for residents and help keep Tonbridge and Malling a safe place to live.’
Residents can also play an active role by reporting incidents of antisocial behaviour to the CSP via the council website where full details of the PSPOs in the borough can also be found.