A petition urging Tower Hamlets Council to reconsider its plans to impose tougher rules for dog-owners was presented to councillors on Wednesday night after a protest outside the Town Hall.
Campaigners from East London Dog Community have demanded the council either completely reject or significantly reduce plans to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that aims to stamp out dog-related antisocial behaviour (ASB) by imposing strict rules which could see people fined up to £1,000 if they don’t follow them.
The council has said the PSPO is needed following a rise in the number of ‘out-of-control’ dogs, while a cabinet report said the borough had seen a number of dog attacks last summer that caused injuries.
The new rules being considered include: ensuring dogs are kept on leads in all public spaces; banning dogs from certain spaces such as gated play parks and sports areas; limits to the number of dogs one person can walk at a time; keeping dogs on leads in local estates, car parks, roads and in communal areas; and imposing stricter penalties for dog fouling.
If these rules are broken, dog walkers and owners could be issued Fixed Penalty Notices which start from £100 while the maximum fine could be £1,000.
A public consultation finished earlier this month and the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands the results of this are expected in the New Year.
On Wednesday night campaigners presented an ePetition, which had been signed by over 2,500 residents while around 30 people gathered outside Tower Hamlets Town Hall to protest against the plans.
Inside the council chamber, a campaigner said: “We understand the council’s aim to address ASB, but blanket restrictions harm responsible owners, dogs and the community.
“We strongly oppose mandatory leashing at all times, restrictive dog exclusion zones and the limit on dogs walked at once – these rules are unfair, overly broad and don’t target the real issues.”
She later said: “The council says the PSPO isn’t meant to demonise dogs or penalise responsible owners, but that’s exactly what it does.
“Instead of blanket rules, use already existing and targeted measures like community protection notices and offer education and training.
“We urge the council to reject or revise this PSPO, public spaces should balance enjoyment for all without unfairly punishing dog owners and their well-behaved dogs.”
The protest, jointly organised by East London Dog Community and the Animal Welfare Party, saw around 30 people gather, many with dogs. Vanessa Hudson, leader of the Animal Welfare Party, later told the LDRS that a more holistic approach is needed if the issue is to be tackled effectively.
Ms Hudson said: “We would say the solutions [to dog attacks] don’t lie in a PSPO like this, they lie actually with national government, they lie in education, they lie in tighter breeding restrictions for companion animals, and they lie in wider social measures.”
Back at the meeting, Councillor Kabir Ahmed asked campaigners how they would tackle issues with more violent dogs that have caused life-changing injuries for young children and others.
One of the campaigners said: “We do not wish to minimise the fact that these are terrible tragedies, responsible dog owners also have a vested interest in safety and decreasing dog fatalities and attacks, however leashing dogs without offering space for free roaming will only increase aggression and will have an adverse effect for what is intended.”
After the campaigners presented their petition the council moved on to a debate about the proposals.Leader of the opposition, Labour’s Sirajul Islam said: “Dogs, like humans, need exercise for their health and mental wellbeing and banning dogs off-lead will deprive them off exercise and potentially make them more aggressive.
“As a council we must recognise that a majority of our residents live in flats without access to back gardens for their dogs to play and run around, we therefore call on the council to work with the dog owning community to find a balance which addresses ASB issues relating to [irresponsible] dog owners but at the same time allowing responsible dog owners the opportunity to exercise their dogs in the park.”
Cllr Islam presented his argument as part of a motion that was seconded by Councillor Amy Lee. The borough’s only Conservative councillor, Peter Golds said: “The overwhelming majority of dog owners in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets are totally responsible citizens, they behave properly and they make sure their dogs behave properly.”
Shafi Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Environment and the Climate Emergency, said: “We understand that Tower Hamlets is a densely populated borough with very few households having access to their own gardens; it is essential that we put measures in place to protect the people from fear and harm of public spaces they rely on.”
The motion was passed, and campaigners are expected to receive a written response from the Corporate Director of Communities in 28 days.
