New proposals for the Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) are being put forward for consideration, and residents are being asked to share their views on the changes.
These proposed changes will form part of the council’s ongoing responsible dog ownership scheme, and we are keen to hear from stakeholders, dog owners, dog walkers, and members of the wider public about their thoughts on the proposed PSPO.
The proposal
This consultation is to ask residents to share their views on a new proposed Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Bromley.
The current PSPO is due to come to an end, and after evaluation of the evidence supplied from this, Bromley Council has seen the need to make the proposed changes. These changes are also in response to an increase in dog related anti-social behaviour issues in the borough, such as dog fouling, dogs making unwanted contact or acting aggressively, or being walked in banned areas, such as children’s play areas or formal ornamental gardens. These issues have a detrimental effect on the local community’s quality of life.
The proposed PSPO will be applicable borough wide, or for some proposals restricted to certain areas only, and will apply to publicly accessible land owned by Bromley Council, including in parks, highways and green spaces.
The main objectives of the PSPO will be:
- Ensuring responsible dog ownership in Bromley and allowing the council to have the ability to tackle dog related antisocial behaviour.
- Preventing dog fouling, which is unpleasant for the environment and can have dangerous effects such as toxocariasis, which can lead to blindness.
- Formalising exclusion of dogs from areas designated for other priorities, such as children’s play areas, sport facilities, formal ornamental gardens, water bodies, growing areas or community gardens.
- Formalising areas where dogs must be kept on the lead to prevent damage or undue disturbance, such as cemeteries, highways, or café seating areas.
- Restricting the number of dogs that can be handled by one person to three dogs on leads to ensure responsible dog management and ensure others can feel safe when walking in publicly accessible areas. Permits can be obtained by individuals to up to four dogs on a lead.
- Allowing offenders to be issued with Fixed Penalty Notices should they choose not to comply with reasonable instructions from officers such as picking up after their dog waste or removing their dog from restricted areas.
This proposed PSPO will be valid for three years and will be reviewed after this period.
Proposed draft PSPO and locations
Article 5 of the draft document has been updated for accuracy reasons to reflect that the proposal is for dog handlers (including dog owners or licence holders) to have a maximum of four dogs, with two off lead at any one time. (10 May 2023). Please read the article in full for detail.
We would like to hear your thoughts on the proposed PSPO measures.
Dog Control PSPO questionnaire
The consultation period closes on Wednesday 31 May 2023 at 11.59pm.