Issue - meetings

The deadline for questions to be submitted to the Monitoring Officer is Monday 7 October 2024.

The deadline for questions to be submitted to the Monitoring Officer is Monday 7 October 2024.

Question from Councillor Anne-Marie Moriarty

Several residents have raised concerns about the increasing amount of dog faeces in public areas, including parks, pavements, and particularly Kings Park Cemetery. One resident highlighted the issue by sharing that her sight-impaired mother regularly steps in excrement while visiting her husband’s grave. She has faced verbal aggression when challenging dog owners and has raised complaints to the council but has not received a satisfactory response.

Could you provide information on how long it has been since the bylaws enforcing dog owners to clean up after their pets expired? Additionally, when can we expect new bylaws to be implemented to address this issue?

Response from the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Partnerships, Councillor Sandra Moore

In Bournemouth, dogs were historically prohibited from entering council-controlled cemeteries as part of a 2011 Bournemouth Borough Council control of dogs order under the Clean Neighbourhood & Environment Act 2005.  However, in Christchurch and Poole cemeteries, this legislation was not taken up and dogs were permitted access to open space including cemeteries.   

This legislation lapsed in 2017 and was replaced in 2020 by PSPO Public Space Protection Order  legislation. 

Under a PSPO, and when an offence is witnessed, local authorities can issue a fixed penalty fine of up to £100 to those who fail to clean up after their dog in public.  This fine could be increased to £1000 by a magistrate’s court if a person refused to pay. 

Fortunately, most dog owners act responsibly and remove any fouling. 

It also needs to be mentioned that these orders require evidence gathering, mapping, legal input and consultation etc all of which takes time and money.   

However, work to review, implement and enforce a PSPO is on the forward plan to be explored in the future. But in the meantime, we are of course, asking the minority of dog owners responsible for failing to clean up after their animals to respect the public open spaces they access, to be considerate to other users and pick up after their dogs.

Supplementary Question from Councillor Anne-Marie Moriarty

I am just wondering what to say to my residents in the meantime.

Response from the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Partnerships, Councillor Sandra Moore

I sympathise with the situation, but I will be looking to see what we can do to move this forward. It is currently work in progress.

Question from Councillor Mark Howell

Councillor Howell requested that his question be carried over to the next meeting of the Council when the Chief Executive would be in attendance.

Question from Councillor Patrick Canavan

‘Can an update be given on the position with Kings Park Nursery in terms of what has happened with the site since the decision to close it and what the plan is for the future?’

Response from the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Partnerships, Councillor Sandra Moore

The Kings Park plant nursery site has just come into my Communities portfolio. 

Expressions of interest to take on the entire site with the existing users  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37