Nuisance Ball Games
We understand that ball games in residential
areas can cause a great deal of distress, especially if persistent
and directed at your property. However, we do believe in the
importance of encouraging young people to play and engage in
sporting activities. We are working with a number of agencies to
ensure that these young people are informed about appropriate
places to play and the impact play can have if in close proximity
to people’s property.
There are no byelaws with respect to ball
games in Havant Borough. This means signs cannot be enforced by any
authority including the Police and therefore the Council and
Hampshire County Council Highways will not erect ‘No Ball Games’
signs.
There are a number of things that you as a
resident can do to help reduce the distress this behaviour causes.
We would recommend that in the first instance you make known your
concerns to the young person and their parents. It is possible that
they are not aware of the impact their behaviour is having on you
and in many cases you will be able to reach a compromise. Havant
Borough has many facilities especially designated for
ball games, it may be a case of directing people to a more
appropriate open space in which to play. Click the link below to
find one near you.
For a map of designated sports play areas
click this link. (PDF) >>
If this does not help, you can let us know so
that we may approach the young people or their parents. It is
useful for us to have information about who the young people are or
where they live. If you are not able to provide this information,
detailed descriptions can also be helpful.
We ask that you call 101 when
you are experiencing problems of this nature. This means that the
date and time and frequency of incidents is officially recorded and
allows us to build a more detailed picture of the problem.
The Community Safety Team will be more than happy to answer any
further questions you may have on this matter. Please call us on
023 9244 6606 or email community.safety@havant.gov.uk