Blaenau Gwent Council has voted unanimously to renew a range of Public Space Protection Orders (Dog Control) across the county borough.
The PSPO’s, which were introduced in November 2016, remained largely the same except for some changes around former and new school sites. The new orders come into effect from the 1st November 2019.
All the locations for the PSPO’s are now available to view on the Environmental Health section of the Council’s website - https://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/en/resident/environmental-health/public-spaces-protection-orders/
There are three types of Dog Control Order included:
• The Fouling of Land by Dogs - this will apply borough wide, where it will be an offence to fail to remove dog faeces
• Dog Exclusion Areas - this will apply to specified areas of land identified by location plans, where it will be an offence to allow a dog to enter an area designated as a dog exclusion area
• Dog on Lead Areas - this will apply to specified areas of land identified by location plans, where it will be an offence not to keep a dog on a lead in an area designated as a dogs on lead area
Anyone witnessed committing an offence under the orders will receive a fixed penalty notice for £100, with failure to pay resulting in legal action which could result in a maximum fine of £1,000.
Councillor Garth Collier, Blaenau Gwent Council’s Executive Member for the Environment said:
“The Public Space Protection Orders were brought in as a result of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and apart from the dog fouling, which applies to any public land, they mainly relate to schools & playing fields and are designed with the safety of children and young people in mind. I am pleased that our members continue to regard these orders as an important part of the enforcement work we carry out in our communities, and I would also like to thank the members of the public who gave their views as part of the consultation.”