People who fail to clean up after their dogs could face a fixed penalty notice after Malvern Hills District Council extends its PSPO.
The Dog Control Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) was approved on Tuesday 22 March by the Council's Executive Committee.
The PSPO pursuant to dog control will be brought into force with effect from 1 May 2022 and this will continue to allow the council to deal with dog control offences by issuing fixed penalty notices.
As part of the PSPO the following will be an offence:
- Fouling – Persons in charge of dog must remove faeces from land immediately
- Leads by order – Persons in charge of dog must place dog on lead when directed to by an authorised officer
- Exclusion – Persons in charge of dog must not take dog into a fenced/enclosed children's play area
- Means to pick up – Persons in charge of a dog must have the appropriate means to pick dog faeces deposited by that dog.
On 2 December 2021, the council launched a six-week consultation to gather responses on its PSPO that had expired.
More than 480 took part in the consultation, with overwhelming support from residents, the majority of which were dog owners.
Cllr Tom Wells, Portfolio Holder for Community Services at Malvern Hills District Council, said: "Alongside our residents, we are passionate about keeping the Malvern Hills District clean and safe, and the extension of this order is an important step in helping us to continue to tackle dog fouling and control issues. We would like to thank the public for their ongoing support, which sends out a clear message to irresponsible dog owners that they must clean up after and control their pets."
Dog fouling can be reported online at www.malvernhills.gov.uk/dog-fouling.
