By Charlotte Hall – Local Democracy Reporter (LDRS)
NO FINES have been issued to Oldham canine house owners who don’t choose up after their pets within the final two years, based on a Freedom of Information Request (FOI).
Ever since a canine fouling enforcement order for public areas lapsed in 2021, Oldham Council has been powerless to effective or prosecute in opposition to the offence.
The FOI revealed that regardless of over 300 complaints lodged with the council about canine poo in public areas within the final two years, zero had been issued with fastened penalty notices.
Cllr Howard Sykes, who filed the FOI, stated: “This is an unforgivable and basic error for the Council to be making. By failing to get the basics right like this, the Council has missed hundreds of opportunities to prosecute an environmental crime and tackle this anti-social behaviour.”
When requested to remark, OMBC famous that the order ran out at a time when the council was ‘busy prioritising protecting our residents against Covid’ and are at the moment engaged on renewing them.
Nasir Dad, Executive Director for Environment, stated: “Our officers can’t be in every single place directly. We would urge everybody to wash up after their dogs as that may enhance the cleanliness of our streets and open areas.
“If you aren’t prepared to clean up after your dog then should you even have one?”
The council are growing a Town Centre Public Space Protection Order that covers 5 main areas throughout the borough, based on Dad. These embrace bans on canine fouling and different delinquent behaviour that cowl greater than 200 alley-gated schemes throughout the borough.
Delph has seen an increase within the variety of canine fouling incidents on their streets in recent months, based on locals.
But based on residents, an enforcement order gained’t make a distinction.
One villager advised the LDRS that the lapsed order “doesn’t shock me with all of the price range cuts the councils are having to do.
“I don’t know if they culprits would be found in Delph anyway but I don’t blame the council for it. It’s the dog owners. They should pick it up.”
Another resident thought the problem lay with waste facilities, slightly than fines and prosecutions. She stated: “There just needs to be dog poo bins in place, where walkers take their dogs. It does help immensely.”
But the canine fouling orders will not be the one powers the council have misplaced in recent years. Some Public Space Protection Orders on the moors and inexperienced areas in and round Oldham have additionally lapsed in recent years.
Cllr Sykes commented: “People shall be appalled to study that the Council has failed to guard our moors and inexperienced areas. Over the years we’ve had fires on the moors began by disposable BBQs and alike.
“This is exactly the sort of crime we would currently be unable to prosecute because the Labour administration has left our green spaces without proper legal protection.”
The council famous that protections are nonetheless in place in areas like Saddleworth and people which can be lapsed are attributable to be renewed within the coming months.
