Malvern Hills District Council is asking residents to share their views on how it tackles dog fouling across the district.
Today (3 March), the council launched a consultation to gather responses on its Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
The consultation aims to understand the experiences of residents and to gather suggestions to help improve public spaces for everyone.
The council continues to receive reports in relation to dog fouling and would like to extend the PSPO that was previously in place to address these issues.
The current order:
- Requires dog faeces to be cleared up
- Requires appropriate means to pick up dog faeces to be carried
- Prohibits dogs entering fenced-off play areas
- Requires a dog to be placed on a lead, when requested by an authorised officer
If extended, the PSPO will continue to allow the council to deal with dog control offences. Currently, officers carry out regular patrols and issue fixed penalty notices if they witness someone committing a dog control offence.
Cllr Jennie Watkins, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Housing at Malvern Hills District Council, said: "We would encourage all residents, whether you are a dog owner or not, to take part in the consultation and have your say. We already have measures in place to tackle dog fouling, but we want to find out whether these are effective or not and how we can make improvements. Your feedback is important in shaping the future of dog control in our community and ensuring public spaces are safe and clean for all to enjoy.”
The consultation will run for six weeks and will end at 5pm on 14 April 2025.
Take part on the PSPO Consultation.
Pictured: Dan Bayliss, Community and Environmental Protection Officer, Cllr Jennie Watkins, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Housing at Malvern Hills District Council, and Shelly the dog.
Date published: 3 March 2025