Council uses Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act to ban dogs from its parks

Newark and Sherwood District Council has announced a series of Dog Control Orders (DCOs) to ban dogs in certain public spaces, in an effort to reduce fouling and out of control pets in the area.

Coming into force on April 7 2010, the DCOs stop pet owners taking their dogs into more than 70 designated sites throughout the district. These include play areas, fields and open spaces. Failure to put a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer is now a punishable offence in the district. Dog owners can also no longer take more than 6 dogs onto land at once.

The orders now mean the council’s animal welfare officers, park rangers, and police community support officers can issue on-the-spot fines of £75 for breaches of the specific orders, including failure to remove dog faeces from relevant land. Those who dispute a fixed penalty notice in court could face a maximum fine of £1,000.

The DCOs were introduced by the council under section 55 of The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which allows local authorities and parish and community to make orders providing for offences relating to the control of dogs in respect of any land in its area. New offences do not need to be approved by the Secretary of State.