What are we proposing?
Huntingdonshire District Council is consulting on a proposal to retain the current Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which has been in place across the district since 2017. The current PSPO relates to:
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dog fouling
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dogs on leads in designated areas
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putting a dog on a lead at the request of an authorised officer
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preventing dogs from entering certain areas
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requiring dog owners to pick up faeces and
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requiring dog owners to carry a suitable bag for this purpose.
Why are we proposing this?
In 2014, the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act became law. This brought in the new power to issue Public Space Protection Orders as a way of managing a range of anti-social behaviour issues, including littering and the control of dogs. These PSPOs last for a period of 3 years and must be refreshed or allowed to expire at that time.
What exactly is being proposed?
We are proposing a new PSPO which will directly replace the current PSPO, replicating the controls which are currently in place in all the areas which are currently specified as having dog controls.
We are not proposing that any existing controls be removed or that additional controls be introduced. So, in summary we propose that:
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the current district-wide requirement for dog owners to put their dog on a lead if asked to do so by a Police Officer, Police Community Support Officer or Council Officer remains in place
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all areas currently specified as having controls requiring dogs to be on a lead at all times retain this control
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all areas which currently ban dogs from entering retain this control.
A list of sites with these controls and maps showing the affected areas can be viewed on our Dog Related Issues page.
We propose that a district-wide requirement is introduced to the PSPO which requires dog owners to pick up the faeces (poo) that their dogs leave behind. This extends an existing control which only covers specified parts of the district.
We propose that a district-wide requirement is introduced to the PSPO which requires dog owners to have with them a bag or other similar means of picking up the faeces (poo) that their dogs leave behind and, if requested by a Police Officer, Police Community Support Officer or Council Officer, to show this to the Officer. This is a new condition.
Under the terms of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, PSPOs last for a period of 3 years, after which time they have to be formally renewed. A further consultation exercise will be required as part of the renewal process.
To have your say about dog controls in Huntingdonshire, fill in our online survey.