Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director, People

Councillor Townshend, Cabinet Member, Policing and Equalities has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, People indicating that the City Council could adopt Dog Control Orders (DCOs) to help manage the problems associated with dogs in public places. The various Orders available were detailed and it was proposed that the Council conducted a public consultation exercise to determine which Orders should be adopted and over which areas of land. The report was also to be considered by the Cabinet Member (Policing and Equalities) at his meeting on 4^th September, 2014.

In 2007, the Council adopted the Fouling of Land by Dogs Order which allowed authorised officers to issue fixed penalty notices to dog foul offenders in certain circumstances. In recent times the Council had received complaints concerning anti-social behaviour of a minority of irresponsible dog owners. The Council had the option to create the additional following orders, which were currently in force in a number of neighbouring authorities:

The Dogs on Leads Order

The Dogs on Leads by Direction Order

The Dogs Exclusion Order

The Dogs (Specified Maximum) Order.

It was proposed that the amount of fixed penalty in relation to any offence to the above proposed orders be £80 to be paid within 14 days, reduced to £50 if paid within 10 days.

Members questioned the officers on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  A recognition of the concerns raised and support for the proposal to adopt the additional four DCOs and the planned consultation exercise

·  Issues relating to the national framework, the options open to the authority on how this could be applied locally and the problems faced by Coventry

·  The extent of the flexibility available to local authorities in relation to the maximum level of fixed penalty notice and any reductions for early payments

·  Members were disappointed that the maximum level of the fine was fixed by Government at £80 which they felt did not recognise the relative severity of dog fouling compare to, for example, paper littering

·  The suggestion that Councils be given more scope to increase the level of fine with a recommendation that the Cabinet Member lobby the government to this effect

·  The advantages and disadvantages of applying a reduction for early payment and whether this undermines the message that the Council took the issue very seriously

·  Support for the retention of the early payment, although they also asked for the Cabinet Member to consider the minority view expressed that the early payment reduction be removed for fixed penalty notices specifically in relation to dog fouling

·  Details about the application of Dog Control Orders by other neighbouring Councils

·  Concerns about dog walkers living outside the boundary who travelled into Coventry’s parks to avoid restrictions and recognition of the benefits of a common approach

·  The benefits of the Police adopting enforcement powers

·  The variations and restrictions that could be applied in introducing in introducing the Orders, including types of locations, numbers of dogs and lengths of leads

·  How complaints were dealt with, deployment of enforcement officers and the challenges associated with enforcement

·  The suggestion that Friends of Parks groups were included in the consultation.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The report be welcomed and the recommendations on the approach to consultation on the adoption of the four additional Dog Control Orders and the increase in the level of the fixed penalty to £80 for breach of any of the Dog Control Orders, with the provision that this be reduced to £50 if paid within 10 days of issue, be supported.

(2) The Cabinet Member (Policing and Equalities) be recommended to:

a) Lobby the Government to seek an increase in the maximum level of the fixed penalty notice for dog fouling, considering that it is a biohazard;

b) Encourage local authorities to adopt the same policies in relation to dealing with irresponsible dog owners to ensure consistency of approach.