Fines for dirty dogs

Newark and Sherwood District Council is introducing new powers to allow its employees to issue fines to dog-owners who do not clean up when their pets foul in public places.

Dog Control Orders, under section 55 of The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, ban dogs from 18 sites, such as play areas and playing fields, which the council owns across the district.

The order empowers the council’s animal welfare officers, park rangers, and police community support officers, to issue on-the-spot fines of £75 for failure to remove dog dirt from all relevant land within the district council’s area.

Those who dispute a fixed penalty notice in court could face a maximum fine of £1,000.

Employees of parish councils could also be trained to issue fixed penalty notices but none has yet been authorised.

Fixed penalty notices could also be issued where people fail to meet requirements to put, or keep, a dog on a lead when directed to do so.

Permitting a dog to enter land from which dogs are excluded and taking more than a specified number of dogs on to specified area of land, to a maximum of six, would also be included in the order.

Where possible, warnings about the orders will be displayed in areas to which the provisions apply.

The council has also received requests from 20 parish councils for additional orders.

Exact locations requested are being confirmed with parish councils.

If agreed, proposals will be advertised and the public will then have 28 days to make representations, which the council must consider before making the order.

It is hoped the orders will be in place by the summer.