The DRAFT Minutes of the extra-ordinary meeting of Bigbury Parish Council (BPC) held on Thursday, March 18th, 2021 at 2:00pm to respond to proposed changes to SHDC Dog Control Orders are published in the DOCUMENTS section of the Parish Council page >Parish Council>Documents>Minutes
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Safe Space On the Beaches for All
Email: communications@swdevon.gov.uk
Issued: 18 March 2021
Following a story this week about Dog Orders on some beaches in South Hams – the Council wishes to issue a clarification – these Orders are not new and dogs are not being banned from the beach. Restrictions on when dogs are allowed on some beaches have been in place since 2014.
The Council also states that their intension is to create space for all on the beach at Bigbury – after local concern.
Every 3 years the Council is required to review its Dog Control Orders and decide whether to renew the Orders and if so whether any changes need to be made. These are rules, which dictate where dog walkers can take their dogs and how they are expected to behave when they are there.
Dog Orders are created for the protection of the public and to enable dogs to enjoy our beautiful coast and countryside as well.
The story, which was run by several news outlets last week, had misunderstood the Dog Control Orders that are being proposed and suggested that this was a new ban for dogs at several popular spots. These Orders are not new but are in fact existing Orders that are being reviewed.
Orders preventing dog owners from walking their dogs at on Mouthwell Sands at Hope Cove, South Sands at Salcombe, and part of Bigbury beach at specific times between May 1 and September 30 have been in place since 2014. The only new aspect is that now, dog owners are required to carry the means to pick up after their pet.
In addition to this the changes being proposed at Bigbury are specifically about how the space on the beach is divided. The Council wants to enable more people to use and enjoy the beaches in the way that they would like to.
A spokesperson for the Council said: “While conducting the consultation we were made aware that there are in fact three groups of people who would like to enjoy Bigbury Beach. Dog walkers, day visitors to the beach with dogs and those without dogs.
“It was important to us that we create a safe space for families with dogs to enjoy the beach with the benefits of the lifeguards being present, as well as a space for people to enjoy the beach without dogs.
“The amendments to the Dog Control Orders create these three separate spaces and we very much hope that the Council will see this next week when the report goes before the full Council.”
If the Orders are agreed by the Council on 25 March, further maps and clarification will be issued to show exactly how the space is to be divided at Bigbury.
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Dog Control Consultation – Have Your Say
Issued: 29 May 2020
South Hams District Council want your views in a public consultation about Public Space Protection Orders for dog control in the District.
A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) deals with potential anti-social behaviour in an area which could have a harmful effect on the quality of life for those in the local community. It can ban certain things, or need specific things to be done, in this case the control of dogs in public areas.
The Council know that most dog owners properly control their dogs and abide by the rules. However, they want to encourage every dog owner throughout the South Hams to be responsible and these Protection Orders help with that.
PSPOs last for three years before they need to be reviewed and the current orders run out in December this year. The District Council now need to consult on the next set of Orders for the following three year period.
The current review affects all existing PSPOs within the District and they want to hear what you think. The Council is also considering introducing new orders within existing PSPO areas, as follows:
Dog walkers must carry dog bags or other container to collect dog waste
Restrict amount of dogs that can be walked at to four at a time
The Council have received proposals from communities in the following five areas for changes to their current order:
Courtenay Park in Salcombe. Currently, Courtenay Park is an area where dogs are to be kept under control at all times. They are allowed to run free off the lead and dog walkers are expected to pick up after their dogs.
Proposal: The Council have received a proposal to re-categorise Courtenay Park to an area where dogs must be kept on a lead.
Butts Park, Newton Ferrers. Currently, Butts Park is an area where dogs are kept on a lead and dog walkers are expected to pick up after their dogs.
Proposal 1: A proposal has been received to re-categorise Butts Park to an area where dogs are excluded.
Proposal 2: Another proposal has also been received to re-categorise Butts Park to an area where dogs are kept under control at all times, allowed to run free except when organised sport is in play they must be kept on a lead, and where dog walkers are expected to pick up after their dogs.
Malborough Playing Fields. Currently, Malborough Playing Fields is an area where dogs are required to be kept under control at all times and on lead when organised sport is in play. Dog walkers are expected to pick up after their dogs at all times.
Proposal: The Council have received a request to withdraw the PSPO from the Playing Fields, which are owned by the Malborough Village Hall & Playing Fields Association, in favour of the Association applying its own rules for dog walkers.
Specified Beaches. Currently, all of the beaches listed, are closed to dogs between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. from 1 May to 30 September.
Salcombe South Sands
Hope Cove (Mouthwell Sands)
Challaborough
Bigbury
Wembury, and
Bantham (part of – to include private area also).
Proposal: Dogs to be excluded from the beach between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. from 1 July to 31 August.
The consultation runs from Monday 1 June to Friday 31 July 2020. Officers can issue fixed penalty notices up to £100.00 for those who don’t follow the Orders.
South Hams District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment, Cllr Keith Baldry, said: “It’s really important that as many people as possible give us their views on how they feel about the existing Orders in their area. We have lots of dog owners in the South Hams and the majority are responsible and control their dogs perfectly well. We all need to live, work and play together so these Orders should help us to do that in harmony with others.
“We’d especially like to know residents’ thoughts on the new proposals for reducing large numbers of dogs being walked by only one person. Also the requirement that all dog walkers must always carry bags, or some other way to collect their dog’s waste, when they are in public spaces. Again this isn’t an issue for our responsible owners who we know already do this.
“If residents live in one of the five areas where new proposals have been suggested then we need to know what they think. Are the changes for the better or worse? Let us know.
“Please do tell us what you think by emailing our Environment Protection Team before the consultation ends on Friday 31 July.”
Once the consultation is closed, a decision will be made before any changes start from December 2020.
If you would like to share your thoughts about the proposals, please contact the Environmental Protection Team on: pspoconsultation@swdevon.gov.uk
Or by post to: Environmental Protection Team
South Hams District Council
Follaton House
Plymouth Road
Devon
TQ9 5NE
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Tougher Penalties for Irresponsible Dog Owners
South Hams District Council is cracking down on dog owners who have their dogs off the lead in public areas, or who don’t clean up after their dogs.
Public Space Protection Orders have been introduced across the South Hams, clarifying where it will be mandatory to keep dogs on a lead. In some areas, such as children’s play areas, dogs are banned entirely.
In addition, the new laws give authorised council officers the power to request that an owner place their dog on a lead in any open public area where the dog is causing a nuisance or likely to do so.
During the summer months, dogs are not permitted on a number of beaches in the South Hams, and officers will be able to issue on the spot fines for those ignoring this regulation.
Failure to comply with the PSPO or a request from a council officer is punishable by an on-the-spot fine of £100.
Uniformed Officers will be patrolling regularly from early July.
Cllr Rufus Gilbert, Executive Portfolio Holder for Commercial Services at South Hams District Council, said: “The majority of South Hams dog owners are law abiding and considerate of others, but there are a minority that spoil it for everyone, and it is these owners that the new regulations will target. It’s important that everyone is familiar with the areas where dogs must be kept on a lead, or where they are forbidden, so that responsible dog owners are not caught out.”
Failure to clean up after your dog is also covered by the PSPOs and is punishable by an on-the-spot fine of £100.
Cllr Gilbert continued: “Dog mess is unsightly, unpleasant and dangerous and we will no longer tolerate irresponsible owners who fail to clean up after their animals. If you know of an area that is regularly fouled, please let us know using the ‘report it’ function on our website, and our officers will add it to their patrols. If you are walking your dog, make sure you remain observant as to where it fouls, always carry bags and place the bags in a litter bin or take them home. Please don’t hang the bags in trees and bushes; they’re not baubles and this could constitute a littering offence.”
For a full list of the areas where dogs must be kept on a lead, and where dogs are not permitted, please see https://www.southhams.gov.uk/article/4114/Dogs-on-Leads, https://www.southhams.gov.uk/article/4109/Dog-Exclusion-Areas-Beaches and https://www.southhams.gov.uk/article/4541/Dog-Exclusion-Areas-Except-Beaches-
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DOG MESS: BAG IT AND BIN IT!
As a dog owner and parish councillor, I hope to enlist your help in eliminating a scourge of South Hams’ beaches and footpaths. During a walk on the beach at Bigbury-on-Sea and on Burgh Island this week, I was disgusted at the number of black plastic ‘poo’ bags left lying at the side of the path or tied to bushes by irresponsible dog walkers after their pets had performed. These people obviously leave home with the intention of ‘emptying the dog’ because they are equipped with the necessary collection bags but they seem incapable of disposing of the fruits of their pet’s labours in the appropriate bins if they have to carry the full bags for more than a few metres. In Bigbury-on-Sea these bins are perfectly visible at the top of the main beach access points which beach users have to pass en route from the car parks and footways. The excuse that inadequate signage to dog bins is to blame just does not wash; if in doubt, TAKE IT HOME!
Many dog owners/ walkers do not appear to know that the failure to properly dispose of dog waste in a bin is as great an offence as leaving the mess unattended. As the SHDC website clearly states, ‘Dog Fouling is one of the top anti-social problems nationwide. Dog mess is unsightly, unpleasant & can spread disease, or in extreme cases, cause blindness. If you do not ensure that dog mess is picked up AND properly disposed of (my emphasis) a £80- £1000 Penalty may be payable under the District of South Hams Fouling of Land by Dogs Order 2013.
Come on dog walkers, clean up your dog’s act and help keep our beaches and footpaths ‘fit for purpose’ – ‘Bag It & Bin It’ for all our sakes!
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