A recent consultation gathered views from residents, visitors, businesses, and other organisations about a dog related Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) across the Dorset Council area.
These views will be used to create a new Order that will give clarity and consistency for both dog-owners and non-owners. Councillors will make the final decision on the controls to be included in the new Order.
The consultation, that was open for 10 weeks, was available online and paper copies were available in libraries and on request.
4,221 responses were received. 80% of responses were from local residents, with 16.5% from visitors and 2.8% from other. 62% of responses came from dog owners. 9.5% of the respondents considered themselves having a disability.
Questions were asked about whether dogs should be kept on leads in certain areas, and if dogs should be permitted into cemetery graveyards, public gardens and sports pitches.
There were also questions about how people felt about restrictions on specific beaches across Dorset.
Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services, said:
“We have had an excellent response to this consultation. It is important that we have the views of a good cross section of the community that is affected by this order.”
The one significant change this time is that the current restriction to keep dogs on leads on Lyme Regis’s Front Town Beach during the winter is not recommended for inclusion in the new order.
The full report and recommendations will be going to Place and Resources Overview committee on 5 October and then to Cabinet on 7 November
If the recommendations are agreed, and the order is not appealed, the new dog-related PSPO will come into effect on 1 January 2024.
To view the complete report, visit the Dorset Council Website
