Public spaces City dog control order to be reviewed
DOG control orders which require people to clean up after their dog and keep them on leads are being reviewed for the first time in three years.
Bristol City council’s Public Space Protection Order covers the whole of the city, and requires dog owners to pick up their dog poo everywhere, and keep their dogs on leads, apart from in certain places.
It also bans dogs altogether from other defined areas - generally children’s playgrounds and other sections of some parks.
The Public Space Protection Order covering Bristol and dogs comes to an end in three weeks time, and the council is reviewing whether it should be scrapped, kept in place, tweaked or made stricter.
The council said the orders ban or restrict certain acts or behaviour in a specific area ‘where they are having a negative effect on the quality of life of those using the space’.
What should happen to the next dog control Public Space Protection Order is the subject of a consultation, with the council cabinet member responsible for regulatory services, Cllr Steve Pearce, keen to hear views.
He said: “We recognise that the vast majority of dog owners continue to act responsibly. Being able to walk a dog and to enjoy areas of open space is important to owners and can be beneficial to them and to the welfare of their animals.
“However, we continue to receive complaints about dog related antisocial behaviour and irresponsible dog ownership in certain areas and therefore we are consulting on a PSPO that will allow us to continue to address issues surrounding dog control, including dog fouling when necessary.”
A Public Space Protection Order can remain in place for three years. Following this, the options are to either allow them to lapse, or extend them in their current form for a further three years. The current dog control PSPO will lapse on October 19, 2020.
Bristol City Council is proposing to put in place a city-wide Public Space Protection Order that mirrors the previous City of Bristol (Dog Control) 2017 Public Space Protection Order. This would stay in place until 2023.
The council says the current Public Space Protection Order has been shown to be effective in dealing with dog-related nuisance in the city by providing authorities with powers to fine or prosecute dog owners who do not follow the rules set out in the Public Space Protection Order.
The closing date for the consultation is November 9.
To give your views visit www.bristol. gov.uk/PSPODogControl and to find out more about Public Space Protection Orders visit https://www.bristol. gov.uk/crime-emergencies/pspo.