New council orders could see dogs banned from some areas

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Dogs could be banned from areas of the city under potential new plans from Coventry City Council.



City chiefs are considering creating four new dog orders that could include new exclusion zones and also give officers the power to force owners to put their pet on a lead.

The proposals will be discussed by the scrutiny co-ordination committee on Wednesday who are expected to recommend that a 30-day public consultation is held to gauge the view of residents.

The potential changes are being discussed on the back of numerous complaints to the council regarding irresponsible behaviour by some dog owners.

There are four different orders which will be up for discussion at the meeting.

These could be added to the current fouling of land by dogs order already used by the city council, which would bring them in line with neighbouring authorities in Warwick, Rugby and Nuneaton and Bedworth, where the other orders have already been adopted.

If they are all introduced, owners could be forced to keep their dogs on a lead in public places such as parks, graveyards and car parks, and even banned altogether from certain areas of the city.

The orders could also mean walkers being limited on the number of dogs they have with them at any one time as well as dogs being restricted from entering certain public places such as children’s playgrounds, tennis courts and skate parks.

Another change could also see the on-the-spot fines for breaking the orders rise from £75 to £80.

The orders don’t apply to guide dogs, hearing dogs, dogs for the disabled and support dogs.

A final decision on a public consultation will be made by the cabinet member meeting for policing and equalities, Coun Phil Townshend, on September 4.

[rebbonk]

As usual, the minority ruin it for the majority

[dutchman]

Dog owners force Council into U-turn on lead-only policy



Dogs can still run free in many parts of Coventry after people power forced the city council to scrap a controversial lead-only policy.

Almost 5,000 people signed a petition against proposed laws which would have forced owners to keep their pets on a lease in all council-maintained parks and green spaces.

Following the outcry, Coventry City Council’s cabinet this afternoon agreed to a softer approach which means people will only have to keep dogs on leads in certain areas, such as signposted parts of parks or near sports pitches when “officiated matches” are taking place.

The stricter rules had been suggested following councillors’ concerns over health and safety.

Labour council leader Ann Lucas said the change was a sign that the council was willing to listen to public opinion, and admitted the authority had tried to “use a hammer to crack a walnut.”

She said: “The original changes were made after members, with the best of intentions, raised concerns over health - particularly in relation to sports pitches.

“We have taken additional advice and we found that the petitioners were right and we were wrong.

“We used a hammer to crack a walnut.”

Other rules have still been passed - including a ban on dogs off leads in burial areas, and granting power to council officers to order owners to put dogs on leads.

Deputy leader Coun Phil Townshend, said a sub-committee would be set up to discuss how the council deals with dog related issues in the future and that restrictions would be reviewed in December.

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Dog controls brought in by Coventry City Council



A campaign group has called on Coventry City Council to be "reasonable" after it brought in dog controls.

The Coventry Dog Group, which was set up to represent dog owners' interests, said it was pleased the council had changed its original proposals to restrict dog-walking in the city.

But it said it would be "keeping an eye" on how the new legislation worked.

The council said it believed dog owners were happy with the new rules which were introduced due to public demand.

The controls consist of five provisions, which will apply in parks and public places across Coventry.

They place a maximum on the number of dogs that can be walked by one owner, ban dogs from children's play areas and say dogs need to be kept on leads next to roads, in graveyards, when sports matches are in progress and in areas signposted by the council.

They also allow wardens to order owners to put problem dogs on leads.

Any breach of the new rules during the first three months will result in an advisory notice.

After the "bedding in" period, the council will issue fixed penalties of up to £100.

Mike Konrad from Coventry Dog Group said the council had initially considered restricting dogs around sports pitches - something which more than 4,500 people had petitioned against.

"The council did take away that particular proposal and what is being introduced is more reasonable," he said. "But we are going to keep an eye on things."

Craig Hickin, head of the council's environmental services, said the rules were brought in "largely because people wanted them".

"We have fantastic green spaces in Coventry and it's about making sure we share them responsibly," he said.

"Elected members initially wanted to keep dogs on leads around sports pitches, but local people didn't like that. We believe dog organisations are now much happier."