Closing time? Anti-social behaviour powers introduced by the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and what they mean for licensed premises

What has changed: The Act extends the maximum period covered by a closure notice from 48 to 72 hours, and likewise extends from 48 to 72 hours the period within which an application to the magistrates' court must be made following service of a notice.

Impact and why it matters: A closure notice and a closure order can prevent a business from operating entirely independently of any action taken against its premises licence, and the statutory grounds focus on serious disorder, nuisance or criminality associated with the operation or use of the premises.  A closure order does not revoke the premises licence, but where a magistrates' court makes one under section 80 of the 2014 Act in respect of premises holding a premises licence, the licensing authority is required to conduct a review of that licence under section 167 of the Licensing Act 2003. A closure intervention is therefore not an isolated operational inconvenience — it may trigger licensing proceedings, cause reputational damage and generate evidence that weighs against the premises in future regulatory action.

What next: Operators should maintain comprehensive incident logs and keep open lines of communication with the police and licensing authority. Consultation is part of the closure notice process, and such communication may mitigate the risk or impact of being served with a closure notice.

What has changed: The Act introduces a new civil behavioural order known as a Respect Order. A court may make an order against an individual aged 18 or over where, on the balance of probabilities, the individual has engaged in, or threatens to engage in, anti-social behaviour and the court considers an order just and convenient to prevent it. The order may prohibit specified activities, require specified positive actions intended to address the individual's behaviour, and remain in force for a specified period or until further order. Applications may be made by relevant authorities, including local authorities and chief officers of police, and breach of an order is a criminal offence.

Impact and why it matters: Respect Orders could be used to prevent persistent troublemakers from entering particular licensed premises, visiting specified areas or engaging in conduct associated with disorder around nightlife venues. Applications can be made without notice, and the court may grant an interim order while the application is being determined – creating the possibility of rapid intervention where there is an immediate risk to staff or customers.  Unlike a banning arrangement operated by an individual venue, a Respect Order is a court-imposed legal obligation, and breach is a criminal offence – significantly raising the consequences for persistent offenders.

What next: For operators, maintaining accurate incident records and reporting repeated problematic individuals to the police or local authority may directly support an application for an order. Door supervisors and management teams should be able to identify whether a person is subject to such an order and understand how to respond appropriately.

What has changed: The maximum fixed penalty for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders ("PSPOs") and Community Protection Notices ("CPNs") increases from £100 to £500. Accredited persons also gain the power to issue fixed penalty fines for PSPO and CPN breaches.

Impact and why it matters: PSPOs are commonly used by local authorities in town centres and nightlife areas to restrict activities such as street drinking, public disorder and other nuisance conduct in defined locations. CPNs may be issued to individuals, businesses or organisations where conduct has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of people in the locality and is unreasonable, persistent or continuing. For licensed premises, relevant issues may include persistent noise, rubbish, poor management of external areas and other conduct affecting neighbours.  The increase in the fixed penalty to £500 makes informal or repeated non-compliance materially more costly than before, and the extension of issuing powers to accredited officers means that breaches are more likely to be acted upon across town centres and nightlife areas.

What next: Operators should understand any PSPO applicable to the area surrounding their premises and treat any CPN as a formal compliance requirement, ensuring that managers and security teams understand who may exercise enforcement powers in their area and how incidents should be recorded and escalated.

What has changed: The maximum period for which a uniformed police officer may issue a dispersal direction increases from 48 to 72 hours, with a mandatory review required after 48 hours. The power allows an officer to direct an individual to leave a specified area where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that their presence or behaviour is contributing, or is likely to contribute, to ASB, crime or disorder.

Impact and why it matters: The longer period may enable dispersal powers to cover an entire weekend or bank holiday, which may be particularly significant in town and city centres where recurring disorder is associated with particular individuals, groups or nightlife areas.  Extended dispersal directions may assist responsible operators by removing disruptive individuals from the area and stabilising the environment around a venue, but venues may also experience disruption to planned events or reduced footfall if a broad direction is in force.

What next: Operators should engage proactively with local policing teams before high-risk events and ensure that door supervisors understand dispersal requirements.