Burnley public urged to have their say on dog laws

In 2011 the council introduced dog control orders which gave extra powers to council officers to tackle dog fouling and require owners to keep their dogs on a lead in certain areas.

The orders required dog owners to pick up any fouling in public open spaces; required dogs to be kept on the lead in areas such as cemeteries, car parks and parts of certain parks; excluded dogs from areas such as Thompson and Queen’s parks and all playgrounds and ball courts; and gave council officers powers to tell owners to put their dogs on a lead for public safety reasons.

Owners failing to abide by the orders face a possible £75 fine.

The council is now re-examining the orders in light of updated national legislation to make sure they are still fit for purpose and are working effectively to meet the needs of dog owners and non-dog owners alike.

A public consultation has been launched today and will run until Friday, November 5th.

People and other interested groups in the borough are being asked to take part in an online survey, so the council can gather various views before making any final decision.

The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/burnleydogpspoPaper copies of the survey will be available at Burnley Town Hall, the council’s contact centre and Padiham Library.

The survey includes questions on people’s views around dog fouling, the use of fines and enforcement work, and the areas where dogs are banned or required to be kept on a lead.

It also asks people for their views on allowing dogs on a lead into Queen’s Park. Currently dogs are excluded from the park but following a request from the Friends of the Park group teh council is taking another look at the issue.

Dogs are allowed in the borough’s other main parks, apart from Thompson.

Coun. John Harbour, the council’s Executive member for housing and leisure, said: “We want to hear the views of people, whether they’re dog owners or not. Where do you think dogs should be allowed and should they be on a lead? What areas, if any, should they be banned from?

“We want to protect certain areas of the borough, such as cemeteries or play areas, while at the same time allowing responsible dog owners areas in which to enjoy walking their pet.

“In the past we’ve taken the view that two of our parks – Queen’s and Thompson – should be dog-free so that people who don’t perhaps want dogs around have a quiet place to enjoy. We want to know if that approach is still supported or whether we should relax the rules.

“Our parks and play areas are for everyone to enjoy and we’d appreciate residents’ views on the whole issue of dog control.”

For more information on the existing dog control orders visit https://www.burnley.gov.uk/residents/parks-open-spaces/dog-control-orders