We get many complaints from residents about dog fouling and dog behaviour. This PSPOs aims to deal with nuisances or problems like these.
Pick up your dog’s poo
If a dog poos on any land where this PSPO applies, the person in charge of the dog must clean up after it immediately.
Put it in a bag and get rid of it in any public litter bin, dog waste bin or household waste bin.
Where the order applies
This is borough wide in all public places.
You could get a fixed penalty notice if you do not pick up your dog’s poo.
Detailed wording of the order
This applies in any place to which the public or any section of the public has access, on pavement or otherwise, as of right or by express or implied permission. This includes areas of land in private ownership used by the public (or a section of the public) and public rights of way.
Keep your dog on a lead
The person in charge of a dog must keep it on a lead on certain land.
You must also put your dog on a lead if asked to by an authorised person.
Where the order applies
This is borough wide on public highways and housing land that we maintain within town centres.
We will ask a person in charge of a dog to put their lead on in areas that have risk to the wellbeing of the public and wildlife in the specific areas covered in the order.
Detailed wording of the order
An authorised officer may only give a direction under this order if such restraint is necessary to prevent a nuisance or behaviour by the dog that is likely to cause annoyance or disturbance to any other person, or to a bird or another animal.
The direction can be given by 'an authorised officer of the council'. This means any person we authorise in writing to give directions under the order. This can include a person who is not an employee of the council, such as employees of a contractor or a partner agency.
Keep your dog out of enclosed outdoor children’s play areas
This excludes dogs from all enclosed outdoor children's play areas within the borough.
We will enforce this where we have erected signage to say that dogs are not allowed.
A children's play area is an area that is set aside for children to play in. An area that contains children's play equipment like slides, swings, climbing frames and other similar apparatus.
Where the order applies
Outdoor children's play areas enclosed on all sides by fences, gates, walls or other structures that mark the boundary of the play area. This makes it easy to identify the extent of the area where dogs are not allowed.
If there is a fenced off children's play area within your local park, you cannot take dog into the fenced off area. This will not stop you from taking dog into the rest of the park.
You can have up to 4 dogs on leads with you at a time
This is borough wide.
Where the order applies
It applies in all:
- parks and open spaces
- children's play areas
- open air communal spaces within housing estates
- residential and commercial car parks, irrespective of ownership
Detailed wording of the order
This is borough wide and includes covered land (but open to the air on at least one side) and to which the public are allowed access to, irrespective of ownership.
Person considered to be in charge of a dog
If your dog poos in a public place, or goes into a children's play area, you’ll be responsible unless you can prove somebody else was in charge of the dog at the time.
If you let someone take your dog out for a walk, they’ll be in charge of it for the duration of the walk.
If you do not follow the order
If the person in charge of a dog does not follow the order, they are committing a criminal offence. We will issue a £100 fixed penalty notice, unless they:
- have the consent from the owner, occupier or person in charge of the land, not to follow the order
- have a reasonable excuse for failing to follow the order
- fall within one of the other exemptions within the order, like the exemptions for disabled people, guide dogs and working dogs
We may decide to prosecute instead, if it’s more appropriate. For example, if the person in charge of the dog behaves in an inappropriate way towards our enforcement officers, or if we’ve issued them a fixed penalty notice for similar behaviour before.
A person found guilty of an offence could be fined up to £1,000.
Report dog poo and over-flowing bins
If you have a problem with dog poo in your area or if a dog waste or litter bin is full or damaged, report it to us.
We no longer install new dog waste bins or replace damaged ones. You can get rid of dog poo in general non-recycling litter bins.