You can now have your say on Fenland District Council’s enforcement of dog fouling and control issues across the region.
An online survey has been launched to give residents the chance to voice their views as a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) expires next month.
The PSPO enables the council to undertake enforcement against issues such as dog fouling and out of control dogs and a three-year extension on Fenland’s is being proposed.
Introduced in 2017 as part of the council’s ongoing ‘Tidy Fenland’ campaign, the PSCO imposes the following dog control restrictions:
• Dog fouling to be removed from any land to which the public have access
• Out of control dogs to be put on a lead when requested by an authorised officer
• Dogs to be on a lead in some open play areas, public facilities, closed cemeteries, and churchyards
• Dogs to be excluded from fenced/gated play areas and open cemeteries
The council is also reminding dog owners to follow the PSPO rules during the coronavirus pandemic.
Staff are still carrying out enforcement patrols where possible, and anyone caught breaching the order can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Councillor Peter Murphy, the council’s portfolio holder for the environment, said: “Our public open spaces play an important role in the wellbeing of our residents, now more so than ever during the pandemic.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy them and sometimes that means having rules to make sure that can happen.
“The restrictions in our existing PSPO govern where dogs can go and when they should be kept on leads, and helps us to tackle dog fouling and nuisance dog behaviour problems.
“Without the order in place we would not be able to enforce such restrictions, so would welcome people’s views on whether it should be extended.”
The survey will be available to complete until May 28. To have your say, visit: www.fenland.gov.uk/dogPSPO2020
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