SEE BELOW FROM WYRE BOROUGH COUNCIL!
Have your say on new Public Space Protection Orders
Wyre Council is very keen to welcome dog walkers and dogs to the borough and wants to encourage responsible dog ownership.
Where there have been problems caused by dogs in public places the council has responded with various initiatives which include dog control orders.
These orders require dog owners to clean up after a dog has fouled, keep a dog on its lead in designated areas, put a dog on a lead when asked to do so, refrain from exercising dogs in designated areas and not exercise more than four dogs in certain areas.
Dog control orders will become redundant by October 2017 and to ensure effective dog control measures remain, we propose to incorporate the existing orders into new Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) and are considering changes, as well as consulting on a new dog control offence.
We want to hear your views on these and other aspects of dog ownership to help us look at other initiatives.
Councillor David Henderson, Portfolio Holder for Street Scene, Parks and Open Spaces, commented: ?We actively welcome well behaved dogs and responsible dog owners and recognise that there should be places for dogs to run free for their own welfare, and the measures proposed provide this balance.
"Officers along with partner agencies will also continue to take action to identify dogs and owners reportedly behaving irresponsibly and if deemed necessary will seek to put in place acceptable behaviour contracts, community protection notices or further legal action on a one-to-one basis.
I would encourage the general public to have a look at the proposed orders and pass this information on to any groups that might have a particular interest."
As part of this process we are suggesting some minor revisions to the current controls and the introduction of a new measure (requirement to show means to pick up dog poo when asked) based on customer feedback in relation to dog fouling.
This new order, used by other local authorities, can be seen as another tool to tackle this issue and push people to be more responsible.
PSPOs were introduced to regulate activities in particular public places that can have a detrimental effect on the local community. They are designed to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a particular area (a public space) that is deemed detrimental to the local community's quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone.
You can read all about the proposed changes and have your say at www.wyre.gov.uk/PSPOdogs.