Dog owners in one part of Wales could be fined £100 as part of new rules banning dogs from some public areas. Newport City Council has approved new measures requiring dogs to be kept under control in cemeteries, parks, and countryside facilities across the city, including outright bans in some areas.
The clampdown, known as a public spaces protection order, has been introduced in areas where antisocial behaviour is having a detrimental impact on residents and people in the area. The proposals, which were approved by the council this week, mean dogs must now be kept on a lead or under close control in council-run churchyards and cemeteries, countryside and coastal sites, conservation areas, and along cycleways and other active travel routes.
Dog walkers can keep their dog off a lead in council-run parks if under control but will now have to put them on leads if asked to do so by a police or council officer. Dogs are also completely banned from children's play areas, beaches, and playing fields at certain times of the year while cleaning up of dog faeces will now be more strictly enforced. Dogs will no longer be permitted on football fields between July and April, on rugby fields between September and April, or on cricket pitches from April to September.
Read more: Full list of Welsh beaches where dogs are now banned for five months
Anyone who defies the order, which comes into place for three years, faces a £100 fine or up to £1,000 if they are prosecuted in court. Prior to 2015 dog control in Newport had been managed within city cemeteries and parks through standalone policy and dog control orders were site-specific rather than applying to all public open spaces. However the council said it wanted to combine all dog control measures into a citywide order, which it said mirrored the approach of other councils in Wales and "would benefit all members of the community using council owned and managed land." In March Caerphilly banned dogs from all of its sports pitches in a bid to promote responsible dog ownership.
The approvals came despite a concerns being raised including the need for more dog bins and a lack of safe spaces to let dogs off leads. One response from a public consultation held last November and December said: "What about youth pitches which are often located outside of a formal designated adult pitch? These are sometime not marked but identified with cones – can dogs be exercised in these areas? What about training areas?"
Another said: "Beechwood Park dogs should be on a lead due to intimidation of children" and another said: "There is not enough safe space to let dogs off leads, other than sports pitches, due to broken glass and litter." One respondent said more dog bins were needed in the city while another said: "Criminalising and dictating to owners of well-behaved dogs smacks of overstepping the bounds of policing how we use our public spaces."
Cllr Deb Davies said she supported the proposals and that there had been several "frightening" incidents involving dogs off leads in Beechwood Park especially during the pandemic. "There have been incidents where dogs have been off leads and it has been quite frightening and scary for some of our residents, particularly our children," she said.
Cllr Matthew Pimm said he also supported the plans but recommended that more dedicated dog-walking areas were considered in Newport. "Dogs need to be exercised," he said. "I am a dog owner myself and whilst I share the concerns and frustrations of other officers with dogs I think it would be of benefit if there were dedicated dog-walking and running areas where dogs can be let off leads, left run around and be exercised but without the public at risk of dogs running towards them barking at them and intimidating them."
Cllr Janet Cleverly reiterated the need for more dogs to be kept on leads if they were in danger of attacking people or other dogs and said she supported the proposal. "I used to take my dog out regularly and he'd be on a lead and he'd be attacked by other dogs with owners who just let them off their leads in Bettws playing fields. I've two staffs on my dog and cost me over £100 in vet's feeds [and] I'm reluctant to let dogs off their leads if they're going to attack other dogs. Recently a friend of mine's daughter got bit in Bettws on the cheek by a dog. They should be on leads."
Last year's public consultation received 335 responses with a majority supporting tighter action on dog fouling and keeping dogs on leads in certain areas. However the proposal to restrict access over marked pitches during the playing season divided respondents with 58% responding in favour of the proposal, 39% disagreeing, and 3% not commenting. The council report said the responses "show a clear mandate for the making of this order", which was unanimously approved on Tuesday, July 19. For all the latest Newport news straight to your inbox, sign up for our NewportOnline newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
