Down Council plans a clamp down on dog owners

Down Council plans a clamp down on dog owners

14 November 2012

NEW laws making it illegal for dogs to roam free along Newcastle promenade and the adjoining beach come into force within the next few weeks.

Down Council is to implement tough new legislation which will require dog owners to keep their pets on a lead at all times while walking in those areas of the resort.

The new bye-laws also require dog owners across the district to clean up after their pets. The maximum fine for either offence is £80.

Council officials and local politicians are becoming increasingly concerned at the scale of the dog fouling problem across the district and hope the new legislation will send out a clear message that this won’t be tolerated.

The new Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act provides district councils with increased powers to get tough with dog owners who don’t control their dogs and clean up after them.

Councillors argue that while the majority of the district’s dog owners are responsible, there remains a hardcore who are not, and they hope the new legislation can help the local authority address the culture of dog owners who view public areas as open air toilets for their animals.

A senior council official told last week’s meeting of the local authority’s Environment Committee that the new legislation should be in place within a matter of weeks.

Mr. Tony McCrory said new signs were to be erected in Newcastle to warn people that dogs walked on the beach and along the promenade must be kept on a lead at all times.

He confirmed the local authority will not rigorously enforce the new legislation in the immediate weeks after it’s introduced. But he said once everyone is aware of the new laws, council enforcement officers will act.

Councillor Robert Burgess said the dog fouling issue was prevalent in every town and village across the district and said the problem must be eradicated.

He said people must also be made aware that the dog fouling legislation covers every inch of the district and does not just apply within town and village 30mph speed limit zones.

Councillor Carmel O’Boyle said the legislation would mean there was “simply no excuse” for people not to clean up after their dog.

Councillor Maria McCarthy said the new legislation sends out a strong message that Down Council was going to deal robustly with people who break the law.

Councillor Cadogan Enright highlighted dog fouling problems at St. Patrick’s Avenue in Downpatrick. Councillor Eamonn O’Neill said the local authority had fought long and hard for new laws governing dog fouling.

Councillors highlighted the need for additional dog litter bins to be provided for people to place dog waste in, but were informed by council officials last week that this material can be deposited in traditional litter bins.

The Environment Committee’s support for the introduction of the new legislation has to be approved by the full council when it meets at the end of the month.