Information on Loughborough

Clean Up After Your Dog Charnwood Warns

Posted on 12/07/2007
Loughborough Newsdesk

dogIRRESPONSIBLE dog owners who allow their pets to foul in public places could face an £80 fine thanks to a new order being set-up by Charnwood Borough Council.

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 provide powers for Borough Councils to create Dog Control Orders to address a variety of offences.

These include failing to clear up dog faeces, not keeping a dog on a lead and allowing a dog to enter land from which they have been excluded.

Charnwoods Cabinet recently agreed to create the orders and the Authority will now be consulting with local Town and Parish Councils with a view to formalising them before the end of the year.

Fixed Penalty Notices costing £80 " or £50 if paid promptly within 10 days " can be handed to anyone breaching the orders by the Borough Dog Warden and the Councils Street Management Team.

Cllr David Slater, Charnwood Borough Councils Cabinet member for Housing and Health, said: "This order clearly indicates to dog owners that we are determined to improve the cleanliness and safety of our Borough.

"Dog faeces are a danger to health as well as being anti-social. By rolling up existing legislation into one Dog Control Order, we will be able to adjust the level of fixed penalties in order to maximise the deterrent effect of the Dog Control Order.

"The timing is also right given that our Street Management Team is now at full strength. Previously, all of the dog control enforcement work has been done by our dog warden, who has worked hard to make sure that the controls are being complied with across the Borough.

"Now we have another 18 pairs of eyes out and about to ensure that dogs are properly controlled.

There are a number of spots in Loughborough and the rest of Charnwood which are designated dog ban or dog on lead areas " including childrens playgrounds - and the new orders consolidate current legislation including the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 and local bylaws.

Matt Holford, Charnwood Borough Councils Environmental Health Manager, added: "Most of the land we are talking about is already covered by controls we put in place in the mid 1990s.

"The value of creating the Dog Control Orders is that increases the fine for irresponsible owners and gives Parish Councils much more freedom to enforce dog control laws on their own land if they wish to do so.