Environment and Regeneration committee approve funding for Dog Exercise Area in St Columb’s Park
7 December 2023
Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee have endorsed funding for a pilot undertaking to create a Dog Exercise Area in St Columb’s Park.
The approval follows a Motion at Full Council in September the place Members agreed that Council would ‘explore the possibility of creating dog exercise areas where a dog can be let off their lead safely in a fenced off area’.
Chair of Council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee, Councillor Ruairi McHugh, welcomed the approval of the undertaking which has an estimated cost of £8,000 – £10,000 for fencing, signage and gates.
“I would like to thank Council Officers for bringing the project to this key stage,” he mentioned. “Dog Exercise Areas can create an area the place dogs will be let off their results in launch power, combine with different dogs and enhance the well being of each the pet and their homeowners.
“Initiating a pilot undertaking throughout the Council space will permit our Green Infrastructure workforce to overview the advantages of a separate Dog Exercise Area within the context of our canine management areas.
“Specifically it can permit Council to watch if the general public use the power to train dogs or if homeowners desire to make use of the broader park.
“We can even monitor points corresponding to the extent of canine fouling and some other considerations referring to canine management incidents.”
Committee Members heard at Wednesday’s assembly that the pilot park might be situated close to the tennis courts in St Columb’s Park which might be enclosed and subdivided for various sizes of canine with a put up and wire fence.
This may present two self-regulated areas the place homeowners may train their small and enormous dogs in enclosed areas.
Depending on the result of the pilot, Council may then take into account the addition of additional canine train parks elsewhere topic to sources within the Council space.
Members had been advised that Council may additionally take into account whether or not it could be applicable to switch the present canine management orders to maintain dogs on leads always exterior the allotted canine train areas.
