Ban On Dogs Within 10m Of Enclosed Play Areas

Some controversial proposals have appearded in the latest round of Local Authority Dog Control Orders. A consultation period currently underway at the Isle of Wight Council, which runs out on 12 October, includes the proposal to ban dogs within a 10 metre radius around any children's play area.

The council also proposes to make it an offence to allow a dog off-lead in certain areas, and banning them altogether from other areas, including a number of beaches, from April to October inclusively.

KC Dog which monitors new Dog Control Orders, describes the children's play area ban as 'an unnecessary restriction - as children's play areas are enclosed'. The organisation says those who exercise dogs and who also have children will no longer be able to keep a close eye on their children in play areas while they exercise their dogs close by.

Kensington & ChelseaKensington and Chelsea has re-issued its consultation on the proposed order to restrict the number of dogs one person may walk.

Initially a Dog Control Order was passed to limit the number of dogs a person could walk to two. However, - after a considerable backlash by KC Dog members and local residents the council has offered to make a U-turn..

..rather quietly.

The original order got through because of the poor, under publicised consultation process. Once again Kensington and Chelsea are failing to consult widely enough, says KC Dog. There is no information regarding the proposals on the council website and it is doubtful that there was any information displayed prominently in local newspapers either, given that no press release was issued.

Most worryingly, the consultation documents were only sent to those that responded to the initial consultation (i.e. those that wanted the limit of dogs one person can walk to be set at two), not the local community as a whole. This means that Kensington and Chelsea's new orders could be challenged again, through the Court system if necessary, since their consultation process would not have complied with Defra guidelines.

The consultation period for the Kensington and Chelsea orders runs until 2nd November 2007.

Proposed Dog Control Orders by Colchester Council, would make it an offence to walk more than six dogs at a time, not to keep dogs on a lead in certain areas including Mersea Beach, and would ban them from Upper Castle Park.

The consultation for these orders runs only until 30th September 2007.

For more information contact Colin Rand, Animal Control Manager at Colchester Council: colin.rand@colchester.gov.uk or telephone 01206 507 872.

Rochford Council is also currently running proposed Dog Control Orders which would make it an offence to not have a dog on a lead in certain areas of the town, and ban them altogether from other areas.

The consultation for these orders runs until 22nd October 2007.