Taking A Lead On Dog Control – Have Your Say On Public Spaces Protection Order

Dover District Council’s Cabinet has agreed to extend and vary the order on dog control in the district – and DDC is launching a further consultation to seek community views on additional extensions to the order following public feedback.

DDC introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in July 2015 for dog control. The PSPO created four offences: failing to remove dog faeces; allowing a dog into an area where dogs are banned; failing to keep a dog on a lead in specified places; and failing to put a dog on a lead after a request by an authorised officer.

A PSPO runs for three years, and earlier this year, DDC launched a consultation on renewing the order, with some changes.  All feedback has been taken into account.  This has already led to changes, including the removal of a proposal to exclude dogs from the pitches behind Tides Leisure Centre in Deal.

Following public feedback, further consultation will be carried out on the following additional suggestions:

• St. Augustine’s Churchyard in East Langdon to be dogs on leads only
• The current requirement for dogs on leads at Gazen Salts in Sandwich to be changed to exclusion
• St Clement’s Churchyard in Sandwich to be dogs on leads only
• A dogs on leads and dogs exclusion area to be added in the area around Sandwich/Pegwell Bay & Princes Golf Course dunes
• Extend the area of dog exclusion to include the now enclosed children’s play area by Whitfield Recreation Ground
• Extend the dogs on leads area in Hamilton Road Cemetery to cover additional area used for burials
• Extend the dogs on leads area in Kearsney Abbey to cover the area known as Mill Ruins.

Cllr Nicholas Kenton, DDC Cabinet Member for Environment said: “The PSPO has worked well and it’s important we renew it. We have listened to communities and this is about finding a compromise between those who have dogs and those who don’t. We’re very grateful to everyone who responded to the initial consultation and we look forward to hearing further comments on suggestions following these responses.”

The consultation will run from 16 July to 12 August 2018.  For more information, or to have your say, please see the PSPO pages.

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