ASB Awareness Week Events, Save The Date For The Community Housing Summit Fringe Event & More…
In This Edition:
- ASB Awareness Week – Free Events Programme
- ASB In The News
- New Case Study – Liverpool City Council Crack Den Crackdown
- Legal Insight from MSB Solicitors – Disability, Proportionality and Possession
- Regulatory News – New Powers to Tackle Nuisance Vehicles…
- Neighbourhood Watch Week
- Save The Date – Community Housing Summit Fringe Event
- This Weeks Top Tip
- Janine & Darren’s Weekly Round Up
ASB Awareness Week: What We’ve Got Planned
As part of ASB Awareness Week, we will be hosting five free events throughout the week commencing Monday 30 June… Each focusing on a different aspect of ASB practice and policy.
Here’s a first look at the line-up:
- Monday 30 June – Sharon Murphy and Jess Thomas will be delivering a dedicated session for the cinema industry, supported by the UK Cinema Association.
- Tuesday 1 July – Jack Madge and Sharon Murphy will be joining Matt Baird and the Social Housing Round Table for a sector-wide discussion.
- Wednesday 2 July – Janine Green and Lindsay Felstead from Clarke Willmott Solicitors will be discussing all things ASB… with more details to come.
- Thursday 3 July – Darren Burton will be hosting a session with Paul Gorton exploring how housing associations can best prepare themselves for using closure powers.
- Friday 4 July – Janine Green and Sarah Bradley from Consilium Training and Support will be debating the Respect Order and what needs to be considered when preparing for this new civil–criminal hybrid tool.
Booking details coming soon – keep an eye on your inbox for further information.
ASB In The News
This week’s round-up of the headlines where your cases have made the news. Got a story to share with us? Get in touch to be part of our ASB Case Series.
This week’s latest:
- Liverpool: Two houses transformed using partnership approach Read Now – We have a case study on this – see below!
- Lincolnshire: Shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and harassment reduced in Grimsby town centre Read Now
- Yorkshire: Police hail fall in anti-social behaviour hotspots Read Now
- Leeds: Relief for residents as court action helps turn the tide on anti-social behaviour Read Now
- Kent: Properties closed in Ashford following repeated antisocial behaviour Read Now
- West Midlands: Closure order for Acocks Green shop following concerns about anti-social behaviour Read Now
- Cumbria: Closure order served on Maryport property after drug and anti-social behaviour concerns Read Now
- Tyne and Wear: Gateshead town centre protection order praised for drop in anti-social behaviour Read Now
- Edinburgh: Police make 11 arrests and seize 6 vehicles during antisocial behaviour crackdown Read Now
- Durham: Hartlepool officials warn ‘We will come for you’ as anti-social flat closed by Teesside Magistrates’ Court Read Now
- Warwickshire: Stratford PSPO being used to address anti-social behaviour Read Now
- Lancashire: Homes boarded up for months after anti-social behaviour and drug offences Read Now
New Case Study - Liverpool City Council Crack Den Crackdown
This week we’re shining a light on a powerful example of partnership working from Liverpool, where closure powers were used to transform two problem properties at the heart of a neighbourhood in distress. The case highlights how trauma-aware engagement, effective use of evidence and landlord support can achieve real, lasting change.
Thank you to David Whalley, QPM, ASB & Welfare Manager for the Private Sector Housing ASB Team at Liverpool City Council, for sharing this impactful story as part of our ASB Case Series.
Legal Insight – Disability, Proportionality and Possession
How far should landlords go when a tenant’s behaviour is linked to a disability? A recent case shared by MSB Solicitors explores exactly that. In Thiam v Richmond Housing Partnership [2025], the court examined whether a landlord’s decision to pursue possession was justified under the Equality Act; and what counts as a ‘reasonable step’ when supporting a vulnerable tenant.
The case offers useful learning for housing and ASB professionals, particularly around the role of proportionality assessments and the expectations placed on landlords when dealing with complex needs. It also sets out clear boundaries around the legal obligations of social landlords, especially in cases involving hoarding, arrears and safeguarding concerns.
Thank you to MSB Solicitors for sharing this helpful and relevant case summary – you can read the full article via LinkedIn here.
New Powers to Tackle Nuisance Vehicles… Police to Crush Vehicles Used Antisocially Within 48 Hours
The government has announced a tough new measure aimed at clamping down on nuisance vehicles used in antisocial behaviour. Under the plans, police will be given powers to crush or dispose of such vehicles within just 48 hours, significantly speeding up the enforcement process.
Currently, forces often face delays due to administrative processes or requirements to store seized vehicles for extended periods. The new rule removes these barriers, enabling a much faster turnaround for vehicles used in reckless driving, illegal street racing, and persistent ASB.
What This Means for the ASB sector:
- Faster visible enforcement: The 48-hour window supports quicker deterrence and provides reassurance to affected communities.
- Supports wider tools and powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, strengthening multi-agency action on nuisance vehicle reports.
- Reduces repeat offending by taking away the means of antisocial activity before it can be used again.
This is part of a broader strategy to empower police and local partners to deal more robustly with the minority of individuals causing harm through vehicle-related antisocial behaviour… from quad bikes and mopeds in parks, to reckless driving through estates.
Read the full announcement here.
Neighbourhood Watch Week: 1–7 June
Now in its 40th year, Neighbourhood Watch Week is being marked by local schemes across the country through events, community lunches and stories that highlight the continued role of neighbour-led safety and connection.
From celebrating volunteers to bringing people together through shared activity, the week reflects how grassroots networks continue to strengthen trust and reduce harm at local level.
If your organisation is supporting a local scheme or hosting an activity as part of Neighbourhood Watch Week, we’d love to hear about it and share your story.
Save The Date – Community Housing Summit Liverpool Fringe Event This September!
We’re excited to be hosting an an exclusive fringe event on the evening of Monday 8th September, as part of the Housing Community Summit.
Date: Mon 8th September
Time: 4pm – 7pm
Location: Liverpool Nova Scotia Bar (minutes from the summit)
Join us for a lively panel talk and round table with sector leaders and experts, kindly sponsored by MSB Solicitors, Case Management Solutions Group, and ADR Mediation. Expect great conversation, practical insights, and a live band to round off the evening.
More details coming soon – but for now, get it in the diary. You won’t want to miss it.
This Week’s Top Tip – Fresh from Janine attending the National Orders Working Group last week…
Our partner Janine Green took part in a forum panel this week – providing an essential insight to national police teams about the role civil interventions can play in tackling issues such as organised crime, drug dealing, exploitation, and gang activity.
Top of her list of tips? Picking the right tool for the problem:
“Each tool brings different merits and opportunities. A one size fits all approach, of using the same tool to tackle all issues may not result in the best outcomes.
It can be helpful to identify your required outcomes and then decide what tool best fits:
- Need urgent protection? Perhaps a without notice injunction or closure order best suits.
- Does the person causing the harm require support? An order allowing for positive requirements may be a better choice.
- Are there multiple offenders causing problems at a location? Would a closure order be the most efficient approach?”
What are your thoughts on finding the right tool for the problem? Do you think enough analysis goes into cases? We would love to hear your perspective on this.
Janine & Darren’s Weekly Round-Up
It’s fair to say it’s a busy time in the world of ASB – and if the number of headlines, case outcomes and enquiries landing in our inbox are anything to go by, the pace isn’t slowing down any time soon!
With ASB Awareness Week around the corner at the end of this month, we’ve been putting the finishing touches on our event programme. We’ve got five free sessions lined up across the week, each designed to shine a light on a different part of the sector: From tools and powers through to sector partnerships and policy. Booking details will be live very soon so stay tuned so you don’t miss out on what promises to be some great discussion, insight and value being shared. One of those sessions is with Sarah Bradley from Consilium Training, who has also just launched a new free webinar: The Hidden World of Waste Crime. While fly tipping and unlicensed waste collectors are issues many of us deal with regularly, this session looks beyond the surface… Exploring the wider criminal activity that can be linked to waste offences, and what signs professionals should be aware of when working in affected communities. Definitely one to sign up for if waste crime affects your role. Click this link if you would like to register.
We’ve also been busy these last few weeks keeping a close eye on what’s emerging in practice – taking part in national forums, listening to the challenges coming through from frontline teams, and thinking about how best we can support the sector to respond.
On top of that, planning is well under way for our Liverpool Fringe Event in September, and we’ll soon be kicking off the ASB11 Conference Countdown – a weekly run-up of insight, guest contributions and (possibly!) an online treasure hunt as we head towards the big event in Birmingham this October.
As ever, we’re here to help you navigate what’s happening across the sector and to champion the work you’re doing to tackle ASB and support safer communities. Get in touch if you and your team need some additional support.
Have a great week,
Janine & Darren