Consultation about dog fouling

Cheshire East is conducting a public consultation about dog fouling – everybody has a view on this, and this is your chance to register your views about the introduction of a Public Space Protection Order.

The proposed PSPO would enable the council to more-effectively combat dog fouling and introduce certain dog control requirements. The council recognises that most dog owners are responsible and would like to thank them for their continued support in helping to keep public areas clean.

The main features of the proposed PSPO

The PSPO would allow the council to:

• Tackle dog fouling in all public places within Cheshire East borough;
• Allow authorised officers to tell a dog owner/walker to put and keep their dog on a lead if necessary, for example, if their dog was showing aggressive behaviour;
• Issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of up to £100. A failure to pay the FPN may lead to prosecution and a potential maximum fine of £1,000, as would more serious breaches of the PSPO.

Cheshire East Council has a statutory duty to keep land clear of litter and refuse (including dog fouling) and a duty of care for dealing with waste. The authority also has a duty to take action against irresponsible individuals who fail to clear up after their dogs on land which is open to the public. Not only is dog mess highly unpleasant, it is also a hazard to health – particularly to children.

Introducing the PSPO would allow the council to replace and extend the existing dog controls and byelaws. This will give a consistent approach across the borough to dog fouling as well as introduce dog control requirements, to encourage responsible dog ownership, to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy our open areas, country parks and public spaces safely.

Consultation

The consultation period closes on October 10th, so don't dawdle if you want to contribute.

Click here to get to the consultation page.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.