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New dog control orders

 
Tough new measures aimed at clamping down on irresponsible dog owners will be implemented in the borough from 15 September.

Under the new Dog Control Orders, owners and dog walkers can be given on-the-spot penalty fines of £75 if they:

  • fail to clean up after their dog
  • let their dog off the lead in designated areas or on public highways
  • allow their dog to enter dog exclusion areas.
Some open spaces will also have restrictions on the number of dogs that any one person can have under their control at one time. It will be an offence not to put your dog on a lead when instructed to do so by an authorised officer.

Key elements of the new measures

Under the new rules dogs to be completely excluded from the following areas:

  • Well Hall Pleasaunce, Eltham
  • 24 of the children’s playgrounds in the borough
  • two skate parks.

Parks and open spaces

Dog Control Orders will be piloted in four local parks and open spaces:

  • Plumstead Common
  • Winn’s Common
  • Sutcliffe Park
  • Oxleas Woods.
There will be penalty fines for people who fail to clean up their dog’s mess, or who don’t put their dog(s) on a lead when instructed to do so by an authorised officer. No individual is allowed to have more than four dogs under their control. Certain areas within each of these four parks will be designated as dog exclusion areas.

Housing estates

The Dog Control Orders will also be piloted on two housing estates:

  • Glyndon Estate, Plumstead
  • Flowers Estate, Abbey Wood.
There will be penalty fines for people who fail to clean up their dog’s mess, or who don’t keep their dog(s) on a lead.

Public highways

Dog Control Orders will apply to all public highways in the borough. There will be penalty fines for people who fail to clean up their dog’s mess, or who don’t keep their dog(s) on a lead. No individual is allowed to have more than four dogs under their control.

Consultation and monitoring

The new measures were strongly backed by local residents in a public consultation carried out earlier this summer.

The Council will now monitor the impact of the measures and, if they are successful, could roll them out next year across other parts of the borough.

Getting tough

Cllr Maureen O’Mara, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: "We are now going to get tough with those irresponsible owners who allow their dogs to create a mess, or to cause a nuisance. These owners must understand that failing to clear up after their dog, or allowing their dogs to become a nuisance or a danger, will mean they face on-the-spot fines.

"It’s clear from the consultation that the Council enjoys support from the vast majority of local people who are fed up with the disgusting mess that some owners allow their dogs to leave."

1 September 2008

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