Village group call foul over dog mess

Fouling and litter problems

Stonehouse will not be entered into the Beautiful Scotland competition again this year – due to dog fouling.

Volunteers at the Stonehouse Brighter Village Group are now stepping up their annual efforts, and have appealed for others to join them as they start planting and maintenance work in the community garden.

However, despite their best efforts to keep the village tip-top, the team say they will not be entering into the annual Beautiful Scotland contest this year due to issues with dog poo and litter.

A group spokesperson said: “For a second year, we are not entering the Beautiful Scotland competition, the reason being the general state of the village streets with dog fouling and litter.

“We are finding that people are allowing their dogs to foul in the circular garden at the cross and within the community garden. We missed out on a higher award by a few marks due to litter and dog fouling the last time we entered the competition.”

Fed-up locals have also taken to social media in recent weeks to complain about issues with dog fouling in the area, and the Advertiser approached South Lanarkshire Council to highlight the matter.

The local authority urged residents to report dog fouling incidents for further investigation.

Head of Fleet and Environmental Services, Shirley Clelland, said: “Our records show eight complaints made about dog fouling in Stonehouse in the last year as a result there were 28 patrols conducted to try to catch offenders.

“We have received no complaints regarding litter in Stonehouse. The village itself is litter picked and bins emptied on a weekly basis with the shop areas cleaned daily.

“The main street is mechanically swept on a weekly basis with the surrounding streets swept every two to three weeks.

“We would be happy to arrange for our representatives to meet with the Brighter Village group, as it does in other areas, to discuss any issues their concerns.

“Dog fouling complaints and intelligence on the times, locations and possible offenders can be reported through the council website or by phone on 0303 125 1015.

“All information is treated in confidence. Similarly any requests for street cleaning of dog fouling, or requests for signage can also be logged in this way.”