An injunction to continue to stop car cruising in Stevenage has been granted on an interim basis, ahead of a final hearing on February 1.

Following a crash on Monkswood Way that saw 19 people injured in July 2019, Stevenage Borough Council was originally granted a two-year injunction at the High Court in December 2020.

Last week, the council and Hertfordshire police attended Luton County Court, following an application for an interim injunction to continue to stop car cruising and the associated nuisance in Stevenage.

The injunction, which has a power of arrest attached, was granted on an interim basis until the final hearing on February 1.

The following activities are subject to restrictions in the district of Stevenage:

  • Driving at excessive speed, or otherwise dangerously
  • Driving in convoy
  • Racing against other motor vehicles
  • Performing stunts in or on motor vehicles
  • Sounding horns or playing radios
  • Dropping litter
  • Supplying or using illegal drugs
  • Urinating in public
  • Shouting or abusing, threatening or otherwise intimidating another person
  • Obstructing any other road user

A spokesperson for the council said: “We are pleased the court has extended the injunction on an interim basis. Our aim when we applied to the court was to protect the safety of the public, and to prevent the associated anti-social behaviour and nuisance that comes with car cruising.

"We will be asking the court to make a final order that participating in, organising or promoting car cruising will continue to be prohibited in Stevenage going forward.”

Supporting the application to renew the injunction, Stevenage police chief inspector Graeme Walsingham said: "The roads in Stevenage are attractive to the cruising fraternity, who find the dual carriageways and lack of traffic lights conducive to driving their vehicles at high speeds. I have seen via intelligence reports and incident logs that cruisers have travelled from outside the county to engage in this anti-social behaviour.

"Since the injunction, we have had no reported large car meets, and certainly not to the scale seen in July 2019. The lifting of this injunction would undermine the council and police strategy, as I am certain people would begin to meet in Stevenage once again in large numbers.

"From a community concern aspect, I believe the community of Stevenage would be deeply concerned if the injunction is revoked and would be met with backlash from community leaders and the public, who are concerned about road safety.

"From the checks carried out by officers on cars stopped for racing, and the recent intelligence report from a car meet organiser, I believe there is a real risk car cruising would return to Stevenage if the injunction were to be revoked."

Sarah Ann Pateman, community safety manager at the council, added: "If the injunction is not renewed, I consider it is highly likely that regular meets will return to Stevenage, given the long history of such activity in the town. 

"Further, if the injunction was no longer in place, I am sure the local community would feel they were no longer being protected from this long-standing, dangerous and highly disruptive behaviour.

"We consider it our duty to do all we can to ensure no-one comes into danger by allowing car cruising to take over our roads, car parks and green spaces."