Newport Council proposes PSPO on dog fouling and leads

The council's last laws on dog control in public places expired in 2016, but now new restrictions could be on their way.

A new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) will give enforcement officers powers to issue on-the-spot fines of up to £100 to people who refuse to put their dogs on leads when asked in certain parts of the city such as parks and cemeteries.

Anyone who refuses to pick up their dog's mess could also be penalised with a fine, and dogs will also be banned from children's play areas around the city and from sports pitches during regular seasons.

Refusal to pay a fixed-penalty notice in 14 days could land offenders in court and facing a fine of up to £1,000, council documents show.

In a report, the head of the council's parks and recreation team said there had been "a number of customer complaints" and "it was apparent there is a city-wide issue concerning the exercising of dogs, and dog waste, within Newport".

Some people had complained about dogs "urinating and defecating" on graves in burial sites.

General view of Tredegar Park, where if the new PSPO goes ahead, dog owners could be asked to keep their pets on leads and will be banned from play areas. Picture: South Wales Argus Camera Club member Nicola Pring Ian Poole

The council officer said the new law would "help to provide a safer environment for everyone to take part in outdoor recreation including formal and informal play, without fear or unwanted contact with a dog that is being exercised off a lead".

The new PSPO will be "a positive action", especially for children and younger people who use the city's play areas and parks, the council noted.

Around 600 people sent in responses to a consultation on the PSPO plans.

Around 90 per cent agreed with the proposal to fine people who do not pick up their dog's mess, and nearly 80 per cent agreed with the proposal to allow enforcement officers to require pet owners put their dogs on a lead, if necessary, in public places.

The response to the proposal to ban dogs from pitches during sports seasons was more mixed, however, with 58 per cent in agreement.

The council noted a "polarisation of opinion" when it came to its plans, with some people raising concerns about a lack of outdoor areas for the city's dogs.

One person said "dogs need an allocated area to run", while another said there was "not enough safe space to let dogs off leads, other than sports pitches, due to broken glass and litter".

The Kennel Club urged the council to take more "proactive measures to help promote responsible dog ownership... in addition to introducing orders".

These could include increasing the number of bins, raising awareness that dog mess can be disposed of in normal bins, running training courses, and using poster campaigns to encourage owners to pick up after their dogs, the Kennel Club suggested.

The charity Dog's Trust, meanwhile, urged the council to provide "an adequate number, and a variety of, well sign-posted areas locally for owners to exercise their dog off-lead".

Councillors will decide on the proposed PSPO next week and, if passed, it will be in effect until 2025.