Dog Control Measures Go Before Public Consultation In Mid Sussex

Mid Sussex District Council is running a six-week public consultation to find out what local people think about dog control measures in the district.

Mid Sussex has four Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) relating to dog control.

The measures are in place to protect the local environment and deter irresponsible dog ownership.

However, the current PSPOs expire later this year and Mid Sussex District Council will be required to extend them in order to keep them enforceable.

The Council is proposing a simple extension of the existing powers it has under the PSPOs. 

Councillor Norman Webster, Cabinet Member for Community said:

"This is a key piece of work for the Council because, as a pet loving nation, it's important that we have policies in place to protect dogs, their owners and other users of our open spaces.

"We have four PSPOs in Mid Sussex to deter dog fouling, to keep play and activity areas safe, to ensure people are able to control the number of dogs they have with them and to be able to request that a dog is put on a lead if that's required.

"These measures are in place to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy our open spaces safely. Most dog owners in Mid Sussex are responsible, pick up their dog's mess and keep them under proper control. However, there is a small minority who don't, and this can create problems.

"The Public Space Protection Orders enable fixed penalty notices to be issued by an authorised officer when they see an offence occur. These are set at £75 or £50 if paid within 10 days.

"We're keen to hear from everyone, so please use this consultation as an opportunity to let us know if you like the current arrangements or if there's anything you would like to change."

The proposed Public Space Protection Orders will cover:

Fouling of Land by Dogs

In order to reduce the amount of dog fouling in Mid Sussex, owners are required to clean up their dogs' mess. This order is applied to any land which is open to the air and to which the public have access.

Dog Exclusion

To prevent people, or the dogs themselves, being injured as a result of sharing activity space, dogs should be excluded from all fenced children's play areas and fenced recreational areas such as tennis courts, bowling greens and multi activity areas owned by Mid Sussex District Council.

Dogs on Lead by Direction

In order to stop a loose dog disrupting sporting or community events or disturbing local wildlife, dogs must be placed on a lead if requested to do so by an authorised officer. This order applies to Mid Sussex District Council owned land on which formal sports and community events regularly take place, and all designated nature reserves.

Dogs Specified Maximum Amount

The number of dogs one person, or one group, can take onto designated Council land is six. This applied to some Council owned nature reserves, adjoining land and several large reception grounds. 

The consultation will be available to view at the Mid Sussex District Council website www.midsussex.gov.uk/dogcontrolconsultation for six weeks starting on Thursday 10 September.