Issue - meetings

          The Board received a report from the Executive Director – Environment and Regeneration, which described the Council’s measures to help tackle irresponsible dog ownership and dog control within the Borough.

          In 2019 and under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the Council introduced a Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to help deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a particular area that was damaging to the local community's quality of life.  Legislation required that PSPO’s need to be periodically reviewed and approved.  The PSPO, attached in Appendix 1 of the report, contained the following control measures:

·       Dog Fouling;

·       Exclusion of Dogs;

·       Dogs on Leads;

·       Dogs on Leads by Direction;

·       Restriction on Number of Dogs Walked at a Time; and

·       Evidence of the Means to Pick Up Dog Faeces.

The Board were also advised of the issues of dealing with dangerous dogs i.e.

·       Dog attacks and dogs out of control;

·       Banned Breeds;

·       Stray Dogs; and

·       Dog Breeding.

Following discussions, Members raised the following comments and questions:

·       There was lack of dog fouling signage in some parts of the Borough and the signs that did exist were not big enough;

·       Members asked why was it not an offence for a dog to attack another dog?

·       How many dog wardens did the Council have?

·       There was not enough dog waste bins;

·       Why was some areas not included where dogs must be on a lead e.g. tennis area and bandstand at Victoria Park; and

·       It was suggested that some information surrounding responsible dog ownership should be promoted via the One Halton magazine. 

Officers agreed to look into the above queries and respond directly to Members after the meeting.

RESOLVED:  That the Board:

1)    endorsed the Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order;

2)    support that a report be presented to the Executive Board to recommend that the Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order remains in force in Halton; and

3)    endorse that the Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order presented to Executive Board be amended, as may be necessary, to reflect the outcome of the results of a planned public consultation exercise on the proposed Order.