Residents are being encouraged to make their voices heard on proposals to introduce new Dog Control Orders across the borough.
The Council is consulting on proposals to bring in the new Orders to replace the existing legislation relating to dog control enforcement.
The Dog Control Orders aim to address the nuisance of dog fouling in the borough, as well as proposals to make sure people put their pets on a lead when walking them in certain areas; limiting the number of dogs walked at any one time to six and excluding dogs from specific areas, such as children’s playgrounds.
Anyone found to be breaking an Order could be issued with a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecuted.
Councillor Steve Farrer, Executive Member for Safer Communities, said:
“Most dog owners are responsible, however a small number of people continue to allow their dogs to stray and foul.
“As a dog owner myself, I fully understand that we need places to exercise dogs. We also need to consider the interests of people who are affected by the activities of dogs and the need for dog free areas. We want to try and strike the right balance.
“Over the years our parks and open spaces have altered in size and we have added more ball courts and multi use games areas. Our existing byelaws can no longer be updated or amended and the Dog Control Orders would replace them.”
After the consultation, a report will be bought back to the Council’s Executive for a decision on whether to adopt the Orders.
The proposed Orders are as follows:
- The Fouling of Land by Dogs Order - this will apply borough wide. It will be an offence to fail to remove dog faeces deposited by a dog under your control.
- The Dogs Exclusion Order - it will be an offence to allow a dog under your control to enter an area designated as a dog exclusion area e.g. children’s play area. A full list of the proposed designated areas can be read here: Draft Dogs Exclusion Order
- The Dogs on Leads Order - it will be an offence not to keep a dog under your control on a lead in an area designated as a dogs on leads area. A full list of the proposed designated areas can be read here: Draft Dogs on Leads Order
- The Dogs on Leads by Direction Order - this will apply borough wide and requires a dog owner to put a dog on a lead when requested to do so by an authorised officer. It will be an offence not to comply with such a request.
- The Maximum Number of Dogs Permitted to be Walked Order - this will apply borough wide and means it will be an offence to have more than six dogs under your control at any one time.
The Council is also proposing to make three sites dog exclusion areas:
· Lakers Rise, Woodmansterne (informal children’s kickabout area)
· Ifold Road Play Area, Earlswood (informal children’s kickabout area)
· Frenches Ponds, Redhill (amenity area with wildfowl)
Tell the Council what you think
The consultation runs until Wednesday 1 March 2012. Fill in a questionnaire by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/dogcontrolorders and see maps of the dog exclusion and dogs on leads areas at www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/dogcontrol.
Information leaflets are being distributed across the borough. The maps and copies of the proposed Orders are also available in Help Shops.
Notes
Dog Fouling in the borough is currently controlled with use of the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996. Failure to clear up fouling is an offence.
Existing byelaws cover the exclusion of dogs from specific areas - mainly children’s playgrounds and dogs on leads in Priory Park’s formal areas, Reigate Cemetery, the Castle Grounds in Reigate and Memorial Park in Redhill.
These controls continue to have effect until replaced by Dog Control Orders, but they can no longer be updated or amended. Offenders can get a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice.
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 extends the Council’s powers to better control nuisance dogs. The Orders can be applied to all land in the open air to which the public are entitled/permitted to access.
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