UK councils crackdown on wholesome countryside activities with PSPOs, sparking backlash

Across the United Kingdom, rural councils are using Public Spaces Protection Orders to curb activities many people consider wholesome, from petting ponies to nighttime fishing, with penalties that can reach £1,000. The approach has drawn sharp criticism from civil liberties groups and residents who say such measures criminalize routine, family-friendly recreation rather than address real harm.

New Forest district council first introduced a potential £1,000 fine in 2023 for feeding or petting ponies, horses, mules or donkeys on council land. In Surrey, Elmbridge prohibits overnight angling between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Other localities have followed with restrictions on metal detecting in Lincolnshire, which now requires a permit. The range of examples highlights how PSPOs are being deployed to regulate everyday countryside pleasures under the banner of protecting the environment or reducing anti-social behaviour.

Josie Appleton, director of the civil liberties group Manifesto Club, said the strict limitations on outdoor activities could put young people and school groups at risk of being criminalised. "These orders are often introduced with little consultation, and the result is a countryside increasingly littered not only with signs but with criminal offences – some of them absurd on their face. Petting ponies and nighttime fishing are just some of the traditional countryside comforts which could cost you £1,000 as they have been hit with an 'absurd' ban," she told The Guardian.

Wild swimming has also faced restrictions in parts of the country. In Abbots Pool, Somerset, officials have said individuals swimming or wading could be prosecuted with a £75 fine. In North Lincolnshire, swimming outside a club context has been banned, with campaigners arguing that councils have failed to provide legitimate reasons for the restrictions. Imogen Radford of the Outdoor Swimming Society noted that PSPOs require a genuine local problem before adoption, and she said the notion that wild swimming is anti-social "blows my mind."

Elsewhere, councils in Dorset, Worthing, Sefton in Merseyside, and portions of the Lake District have signaled that wild camping or sleeping on beaches could be criminalised under PSPOs. Critics argue the surge in PSPOs reflects a broader effort to govern public life by restricting harmless behaviour rather than addressing clear, demonstrable harms. The councils named in the reports were contacted for comment as part of the outreach for this coverage.