We require your views on managing dogs in public

Date of assessment: Friday, June 2, 2023 – Friday, August 18, 2023

Consultation summary

In 2012, Stroud District Council made 4 Dog Control Orders to resolve problems associating with dogs. In 2017, those Orders transitioned into PSPOs the same. These PSPOs stay in force and the table listed below sums up the Orders for your info:-

Identifier	Summary of Order Provisions
PSPO1	Failure to get rid of the faeces when a dog under the individual’s control has defecated on any land within the District which is open to the air and to which the general public has a right of gain access to. Exemptions exist for support dogs.
PSPO2	Failure to put a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer of the Council, if such restraint is essential to avoid a problem, behaviour most likely to trigger inconvenience or disruption to a individual or the stressing or disruption of any animal or bird. This likewise uses to all land within the District which is open to the air and to which the general public has a right of gain access to.
PSPO3	Permitting a dog to get in land from which dogs are left out which uses (where signed at the entryway) to any fenced, hedged or walled kids’s backyard, bowling green, croquet yard, tennis court, skateboard park, cycle enclosure, putting green or other sporting or leisure center. Exemptions exist for support dogs.
PSPO4	Not keeping a dog on a lead in a designated location. This uses to all allocations, cemeteries, parking area, canal towpaths and designated cycle tracks along with defined paths consistently utilized to access any main, secondary or high school or college.

 

PSPOs can get an optimum of 3 years, at which time a procedure of evaluation and assessment should be carried out to examine the requirement for the Order to be extended by approximately a more 3 years. There is no limitation on the variety of times that a PSPO might be extended. The present PSPOs efficiently “expire” in October 2023 without such extension.

Thus, this correspondence looks for to officially consult you on your views on the extension of the 4 present PSPOs. A short summary of the present position and a suggestion for each of the existing Orders is set out listed below for your factor to consider.

PSPO1 – Fouling:

With regard to the requirement to need the elimination of dog faeces, fouling in a location is plainly harmful, both in regards to the discomfort of its look, its smell and its illness transmission capacity.

Dog fouling stays a substantial issue throughout the entire District and was the topic of 176 problems in 2021 and 160 problems in 2022 from members of the general public. While the terrific bulk of dog owners are accountable and clear up after their dogs, there stays a substantial minority who ignore the law.

The power to serve Fixed Penalty Notices and/or prosecute determined culprits is important in looking for to resolve the problem along with a toolkit of more academic methods. To not maintain these powers would send completely the incorrect message in regard of how the Council views this reckless, anti-social behaviour and, were that the case, one would anticipate the scenario to weaken. Thus, it is proposed to maintain the powers included in this PSPO for a more 3 years.

PSPO2 – Dog on Lead when Directed to Do So:

This 2nd PSPO associates with individuals being needed to put a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer of the Council, where this is needed to avoid problem, disruption or animal stressing. It is clear that dogs that are not under appropriate control can show disconcerting and frightening to both grownups and kids.

The capability to need dogs to be placed on a lead permits a focussed and targeted method to dealing with people that enable their dogs to lack control, without adversely effecting on the large bulk of dog owners. This power stays a useful backstop to guarantee compliance with such interventions. Thus, it is proposed to maintain the powers included in this PSPO for a more 3 years.

PSPO3 – Permitting a Dog to Enter Land from Which it is Excluded:

The 3rd PSPO associates with the exemption of dogs from designated signed locations, for instance fenced, hedged or walled kids’s backyard, bowling greens, croquet yards, tennis courts, skateboard parks, cycle enclosures, putting greens or other sporting or leisure centers.

Once once again there is a clear requirement for this arrangement to guarantee that dogs do not get in locations where there is a clear dispute in between their existence which of other users. Their exemption likewise considerably decreases the prospective problem of fouling, therefore making it possible for safe and tidy gain access to for individuals, particularly those with young kids. Compliance is reported as excellent as the reasoning for the exemption seems commonly comprehended and supported and clear signs has actually shown efficient in highlighting the requirement. However, any loss of the exclusionary powers might fairly be anticipated to cause a boost in issues to users of the locations. Consequently, it is proposed to maintain the powers included in this PSPO for a more 3 years.

PSPO4 – Dogs on Leads in Specified Areas:

The 4th DCO associates with a requirement to keep dogs on a lead in designated locations such as allocations, cemeteries, parking area, canal towpaths and designated cycle tracks.

Complaints from the general public in regard of these matters are fairly unusual. Additionally, officers report that enforcement of this PSPO in relation to the canal towpaths and cycle tracks has actually shown to be extremely hard and has actually caused blockage of officers in the form of declining to offer information along with risks to officers. This resistance appears to originate from a viewed unfairness amongst dog owners in regard of needing to put dogs on leads in what are considered as “shared spaces” when they might be plainly walking to heel and, as such, are mostly under control. Exercising off the lead is accepted as a crucial advantage for dogs and a requirement for dogs to be on leads on lots of miles of track or towpath attended to leisure and leisure is viewed by some as disproportionately expensive.

Given that unchecked behaviour, where determined, might be resolved by using other PSPOs, for instance by directing that dogs be placed on a lead, it was proposed in the 2020 assessment to get rid of cycle tracks and canal towpaths from this Order. At that time 53% of reacting official consultees and 71% of reacting members of the general public favoured the retention of the PSPO the same and, as a repercussion, that was the choice taken.

However, the very same problems stay as in 2020. As then, it is felt that elimination of the cycle tracks and towpaths component of this Order represents a sensible, proportional and targeted method to determined issues. Additionally, other powers can be made use of to take on particular issue owners and behaviours, for instance Community Protection Notices, instead of taking a blanket method.

Thus, it is once again proposed in this assessment to get rid of cycle tracks and canal towpaths from this specific Order. It is, however, proposed to maintain the other exemption locations, for instance cemeteries, in a somewhat changed Order for a more 3 years.

Why we are speaking with 

To sum up – Currently, the 4 PSPOs need dog owners to:

1. Pick up dog faeces
2. Put dogs on leads when directed to do so by an officer
3. Keep dogs out of locations signed as exemption locations, e.g. kids’s backyard
4. Keep dogs on leads in designated locations such as allocations, cemeteries, parking area, canal towpaths and designated cycle tracks.

Stroud District Council proposes to extend using PSPOs for a more 3 years, the optimal duration permitted, from October 2023.

It is proposed to leave the very first 3 orders the same however to make one modification to the 4th order by eliminating canal towpaths and designated cycle tracks from the designated locations.