Bournemouth Residents Split Over Dog Beach Ban

Thu, 11 Dec 2008

Bournemouth residents are split over proposals for a summer beach ban on dogs . Bournemouth Borough Council is considering introducing new dog control wardens and extending the areas of the beach where dogs are banned in the summer. An informal consultation was carried out in October and November and drew 728 responses, 390 of which were from dog owners. A formal consultation has now begun which is due to close on January 16th 2009.

The council claim there is a ‘call for greater enforcement of the existing regulations’ to reduce ‘dog offences committed on the seafront’. The new plans would allow council offers to issue on the spot fines to disobedient pet owners. Anyone who fails to keep their pet on a lead on the promenade, fails to pick up dog faeces, or takes their animals on the banned beach sections, could be given a fixed penalty notice.

Councillor Beverley Dunlop, cabinet member for economy and tourism, said, "It's unreasonable to ban dogs completely on the beach. But we do need to ensure that during the busy season densely populated areas are free of possible dog nuisance and that we protect our blue flag beaches. This topic is always a hot one, views expressed tend to be polarised but public space needs to work for all users’.

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