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Your environment
Dog Control Orders
Current situation
Adur District Council currently has limited dog control powers under 'The
Regulation of Dogs in the Adur District in the County of West Sussex' byelaws
made under 'section 164 of the Public Health Act 1875' and 'section 12 and
15 of the Open Spaces Act 1906'.
Most dog owners in Adur are responsible, but unfortunately there are a small minority which are not. As part of the council’s aim to promote a clean and green Adur, it is keen to tackle this issue and expand its enforcement powers for dog fouling and other dog control issues.
Dog Control Orders
The 'Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act (2005)' introduced Dog Control Orders (DCO or DCOs). The Orders allow for the making of five offences relating to dogs :
- Failing to remove dog faeces;
- The keeping of dogs on leads;
- Not putting and keeping a dog on the lead when directed to by an authorised officer;
- Permitting a dog to enter land from which it is excluded;
- Taking more than a specified number of dogs onto land.
Land can be designated as long as it is open to the air on one side and the public are permitted to have access with or without payment.
More details can be found at the following external website links :
- DEFRA website : General dog advice and guidance (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/dogs/index.htm)
- DEFRA website : Dog Control Orders : Guidance on Sections 55 to 67 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (PDF file) (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/legislation/cnea/dogcontrol-orders.pdf)
- OPSI website : Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 (www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1996/Ukpga_19960020_en_1)
- ENCAMS website : Dog fouling (www.encams.org/aboutus/main.asp?pageid=8&sub=1)
- ENCAMS website : Dog control poster (PDF file) (www.encams.org/csgnetwork/toolkits/local_business/dog_control_posters_all_languages/dog_control_poster_english.pdf)
- Respect (Home Office) website : Dog Control Orders (www.respect.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=7922)
See also :
- You and your dog in the countryside (.PDF 364kb)
Consultation
Adur District Council is keen to investigate options for introducing Dog Control Orders in response to complaints it has received from residents about dog control issues specifically dog fouling. The council's Street Scene Working Group has been considering this matter for sometime and would like to get as many views as possible on the initial proposals.
A questionnaire has been put together to seek views on the proposed DCOs. You can find a link to the questionnaire below. The responses will help us to draft the DCOs for Statutory Consultation later in the year. Please get involved in the discussion about DCOs at this stage so we can make sure that the revised 'Orders' are appropriate and proportional response to the issue.
How to get involved
The initial consultation period will run from 30th June through to the 31st August 2008.
Have your say on the initial proposals (detailed below) by :
- Filling out the on-line Dog Control Orders questionnaire
- Send an e-mail to dogcontrolorders@adur.gov.uk with your comments and views about Dog Control Orders
- Visit the display at the Civic Centre from 30 June to 18 July 2008
- Send your views and comments in writing to :
- Dog Control Orders,
Adur and Worthing Services,
Commerce Way,
Lancing,
West Sussex, BN15 8TA
- Dog Control Orders,
Timetable
Your comments and views will help us to shape the DCOs for the statutory consultation stage of the process. We will be looking at which of the DCOs we should implement and which sites should or shouldn't be covered by one or more of the various DCOs. We are required to undertake formal consultation by law and this will include placing advertisements in the local press, going out to statutory consultees and making the information widely available via the council's website.
The proposals
The proposals are merely suggestions at this stage. We need your help to ensure the final DCOs are a balanced and proportional response to the issue - get involved in the discussion and have your say!
A) Failing to remove dog faeces
The proposal is to require people in charge of dogs to remove dog faeces from all land within the district of Adur which is open to the air and to which the public are entitled or permitted to have access with or without payment.
Dog fouling offences are not applicable to certain working dogs, guide dogs and designated assistance dogs, nor would the offence apply where consent is given by the land owners.
B) The keeping of dogs on leads
The proposal is that it will be an offence not to have your dogs on a lead in following areas :
- All roads, pavements, verges and footpaths in Adur
- Public owned cemeteries
- Allotments
- Car parks
The DCO will not apply to any part of the Downs Link passing through Adur, bridleways, restricted byways, byways open to all traffic, nor will it apply to any access land within Adur.
C) Dogs on lead by direction
The council is proposing that the offence of not putting and keeping a dog on a lead when instructed by an authorised officer will apply to :
- Parks, open spaces and recreational grounds
- Beaches
- Nature reserves
- Car parks
- Allotments
- Publicly owned cemeteries
- Access land
- The Downs Link passing through Adur
- Bridleways
- Restricted byways
- Byways open to all traffic
D) Dog exclusions
The Council is proposing that dogs will be prohibited from entering the following areas :
- All children’s play areas
- Bowling greens
- Tennis Courts
- Multi-sports areas
- Fenced off grass areas
- Rest gardens
Maps of dog exclusion areas :
- Dog exclusion area : Sites 1 (Adur Recreation Ground, Buckingham Park, The Ham/Ham Road, Eastern Avenue, Croft Avenue Rest Garden) (.PDF 1mb)
- Dog exclusion area : Sites 2 (Cromleigh Recreation Ground, Elm Grove Open Space, Cross Road Rest Garden, Fishersgate Recreation Ground) (.PDF 1mb)
- Dog exclusion area : Sites 3 (Halewick Recreation Ground, Hamble Recreation Ground, Lancing Manor, Larkfield Recreation Ground) (.PDF 918kb)
- Dog exclusion area : Sites 4 (Middle Road Recreation Ground, Mile Oak Rest Garden, Parklands Open Space, Quayside Recreation Ground) (.PDF 1mb)
- Dog exclusion area : Sites 5 (Shadwells Open Space, Shoreham Beach Green, Sompting Recreation Ground, Southwick Green) (.PDF 889kb)
- Dog exclusion area : Sites 6 (Southwick Recreation Ground, Sussex Wharf, The Meads Recreation Ground, Manor Park Gardens) (.PDF 1.16mb)
E) Maximum number of dogs
The Council is proposing to limit the number of dogs any one person can walk at any time to a maximum of six. This is the recommended maximum in government guidance.
Other restrictions for dogs on access land may apply and the public should visit the Countryside access website where you can find full details and interactive maps of areas you can access :
How can you help?
See also :
