Issue - meetings

Public Spaces Protection Order

Meeting: 04/06/2019 - Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee (Item 11)

11 Public Spaces Protection Order pdf icon PDF 92 KB

To consider the attached report of the Head of Regulatory Services.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Regulatory Services presented the report on the Public Spaces Protection Order.

 

Dover District Council’s first Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) had come into force on 27 July 2015 and created 4 offences as followed:

 

  • Failing to remove dog faeces (covering the whole district);
  • Failing to put a dog on a lead after a request by an authorised officer (covering the whole district);
  • Failing to keep a dog on a lead in specified places; and
  • Allowing a dog into specified areas where dog exclusion applies.

 

The PSPO was renewed for a further 3 years in July 2018. However, during the renewal process consultees identified 7 areas, outlined below, which were not included in the initial consultation. These were as followed:

 

  • St. Augustine’s Church in East Langdon (requested to be dogs on leads only);
  • Gazen Salts Nature Reserve, Sandwich  (requested that current requirement for dogs on leads be changed to exclusion);
  • St Clements in Sandwich (requested to be dogs on leads only);
  • Sandwich/Pegwell Bay & Princes Golf Course dunes (requested a dogs on lead and dogs exclusion area is added in the area around);
  • Whitfield Recreation Ground (extend the area of dog exclusion to include the now enclosed children’s play area);
  • Hamilton Road Cemetery (extend the dogs on lead area to cover additional area used for burials); and
  • Kearsney Abbey (extend the dogs on lead area in to cover the area known as Mill Ruins).

 

In response to this, the Council had undertaken consultation on the seven areas above and had received 275 comments in total. These broke down as follows:

 

  • 43% were in favour;
  • 15% partly in favour;
  • 41% against; and
  • 1% not specifying for or against.

 

There were concerns expressed that in the case of some of the proposed PSPOs there was a balance between the number of supporting and objecting comments and that without the detail of the comments it was difficult to assess the justification for the decisions being recommended by officers. The exceptions to this were the Children’s Play Area Whitfield Recreation Ground, the St Augustine's Churchyard, East Langdon and Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal where the responses where there was a clear outcome in the consultation and the consensus of opinion amongst Members was supportive of these proposals.

 

In response the Head of Regulatory Services advised that she would ensure that Members were provided with a breakdown of all the responses received.

 

Members queried whether, given the restrictions on green spaces where dog walking was permitted, the Council had considered the creation of a dog park specifically for this purpose and were advised that the possibility of such an area had been investigated by officers.

 

The Chairman suggested that if Members still had concerns with the proposed PSPOs following the circulation of the full responses they could call it in. 

 

RESOLVED:   That it be recommended to Cabinet:

 

(a)   That the variation of the Public Spaces Protection Order (Dover District Council) 2018 for the Children’s Play Area Whitfield Recreation Ground, the St Augustine's Churchyard, East  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11


Meeting: 03/06/2019 - Cabinet (Item 4)

4 Public Spaces Protection Order pdf icon PDF 92 KB

To consider the attached report of the Head of Regulatory Services.

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regulatory Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a) That, having regard to the conditions within Section 59 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the variation of the Public Spaces Protection Order (Dover District Council) 2018 be approved.

 

(b) That authority be delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services to carry out all necessary publicity required by virtue of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (Publication of Public Spaces Protection Orders) Regulations.

 

      (c) That the amount of any fixed penalty notice issued under Section 

      68 of the Act be approved at £75.