Cheshire East Council is beefing up its powers to crack down on dog fouling and dog control.
It follows public support for tougher controls put forward by the council during its recent borough-wide consultation.
The four-week public consultation, which ended on October 10th, was held to seek residents' views around the introduction of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) specifically to tackle dog fouling and dog control across Cheshire East.
The authority received more than 1,400 responses and more than 90 per cent of respondents backed the creation of a PSPO to cover all public places and fines for owners who fail to clean up after their dog.
The PSPO came into effect from today, November 1st, and will enable the council to more-effectively combat dog fouling and introduce certain dog control requirements.
Councillor Paul Bates, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for finance and communication, said: "This consultation got a tremendous response from the public and, as we are a listening authority, we have responded to what they told us.
"It became apparent, from very early on in the process, that our proposals really struck a chord – and residents overwhelmingly supported plans to beef up enforcement and promote responsible dog ownership.
"It is clear from the responses that this is an important issue for residents and the council wanted to give the whole community the opportunity to have their say in shaping policies that help make Cheshire East such an attractive place to live, work, build a business and visit."
The main features of the PSPO allow the council to:
● Tackle those that fail to pick up after their dog in all public places within Cheshire East borough;
● Allow authorised officers to tell a dog owner/walker to put and keep their dog on a lead if necessary, for example, if their dog was showing aggressive behaviour; and
● Issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100. A failure to pay the FPN may lead to prosecution and a potential maximum fine of £1,000, as would more serious breaches of the PSPO.
Cheshire East Council has a statutory duty to keep land clear of litter and refuse (including dog fouling) and a duty of care for dealing with waste.
The authority also has a duty to take action against irresponsible individuals who fail to clear up after their dogs on land which is open to the public. Not only is dog mess highly unpleasant, it is also a hazard to health – particularly to young children. Roundworm eggs found in dog mess (toxocara canis) can easily be picked up by children. This causes stomach upsets, sore throats, asthma and, in some cases, blindness.
Comments
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"Cheshire East Council has a statutory duty to keep land clear of litter and refuse (including dog fouling) and a duty of care for dealing with waste."
For every bit of dog muck on the street in Alderley there are hundreds of pieces of general litter and fag ends, no one seems appalled by this.
I am a dog owner, lots of folk see me and Betsy in the Village most days, I always pick up and will tell anyone I see my thoughts if they don't.
Littering is littering be it organic or not.