Changes, including banning dogs from Westbrook Bay in the Summer months, are proposed to a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which outlines areas where dogs can and cannot be walked.
In October 2017 a PSPO was put in place to enforce restrictions on some Thanet beaches and to ban dogs from children’s play areas and introduce a strict on-lead policy for pets being walked in cemeteries.
In October this year, Thanet District Council took the decision to extend the PSPO for dog fouling, exclusion and dog control until 2023.
The council says the original order has had a positive impact and helped prevent detrimental effects on the quality of the isle’s water, the cleanliness of blue flag beaches and helped to protect the coastline, cemeteries and playgrounds.
TDC says the order has also helped protect the diversity of bird populations and wildlife at Pegwell Bay upper chalk shore, mudflats and saltmarsh.
The authority is now consulting the public on three changes:
Westbrook Bay – Currently dogs must be kept on a lead. The amendment would be to not allow dogs on the beach between 10am and 6pm 1 May to 30 September, to help maintain the Blue Flag Award status.
Pegwell Bay – TDC is suggesting amending the PSPO to extend the exclusion to cover the upper chalk shore to protect people’s enjoyment of the internationally important nature reserve.
TDC is also suggesting humans and dogs will be banned from interfering with, trapping or attempting to trap, snare or disturb any wildlife on council owned land.
If you would like to have your say on these changes, please complete the feedback form which can be found at thanet.gov.uk/consultation or email any comments to Streetscene.Enforcement@thanet.gov.uk
Cllr Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Operational Services at Thanet District Council said: “The use of PSPOs throughout the district enables us to protect our coastline and wildlife whilst ensuring that it can still be enjoyed by residents and visitors. It’s about creating a balance between dog owners and those who don’t have a dog to ensure that everyone can enjoy our public spaces.
“Our aim is to prevent the small number of irresponsible dog owners from allowing their pets to foul, stray and be out of control – thereby keeping everyone safe.
“I hope that people will take the time to provide comments on these proposed changes, which include adding some seasonal dog exclusion areas, as we look to address specific issues highlighted through our ongoing work with partners.”
The consultation runs from today ( November 23) to Tuesday, December 22. The results of the consultation will be presented to Cabinet for a final decision to be made in January 2021.
More information on the PSPO can be found at thanet.gov.uk/dog-public-space-protection-order-pspo
For a hard copy version, call 01843 577000 or email Streetscene.Enforcement@thanet.gov.uk
This is the right thing to do during the summer many people think the dog poo would wash away when the tide comes in. It stays on the beach any that gets into the sea is adding to the marine environmental problems it already has.
Full of good ideas, but never any enforcement.
Look at Margate main sands, and Ramsgate, always dogs roaming on the beaches where they are completely banned during the summer months. How many times do you see or hear of any warnings, or prosecutions occurring? Will be yet another pointless rule by Thanet Council.
Completely agree. Too many meetings and chat – more action needed !
“TDC is also suggesting humans and dogs will be banned from interfering with, trapping or attempting to trap, snare or disturb any wildlife on council owned land.” – does this include mussels and other shellfish/molluscs on the beaches and rocks?
I think you’ll find that the council has no say in what happens below the Mean High Water mark. Nothing wrong with a bit of foraging for food or bait. It’s the hoards of “people” who are allowed to strip the shore and rocks of everything living, including under-sized creatures to put in a soup.
Can the emphasis on this piece please be changed? It is *not* proposed to implement a complete ban (unlike Margate Main Sands), but is a 10am-6pm ban. I feel the headline is unnecessary alarmist I, personally, have no issue with a 10-6 ban, but disagree with 24 hour bans.
From 8a.m. would be better.
Marva you sound such a sad person
No, I am quite a cheerful person.
Council will enforce against dog owners but the hoards of people dumping tonnes of rubbish, human waste on beaches just gets let to happen
Should be a complete ban all year round. Totally unnessary there are plenty of places to walk these animals all people want to do islet the loose to run where they want. Law with dogs just running needs seriously looking at!!!
I tend to agree.
It wouldn’t be so bad if dog walkers were more responsible. Sadly, though many are, there are far, far too many *entitled* people who think that because they’ve got a dog, they can go wherever they like.
You’ve only got to look at the state if our pavement to see how responsible dog walkers are.
Graham DO NOT TAR ALL DOG OWNERS THE SAME IAM A RESPNOSIBLE DOG OWNER MY BOYS POO IS PICKED UP AS SOON AS IT IS DROPPED THEY ARE NEVER LET OFF THEIR LEADS BECAUSE I FEAR MORE FOR THEIR SAFETY MORE THAN THAT OF A PITIFUL HUMAN
Are you really more concerned about people than dogs?
less, of course
No Marva I care more for my dogs people pht.
Lesley you sound such a sad person
Do you pick up their wee wee too?
do not be a Herbert Herbert of course I do, I mop it up and bottle it you twit I may sound sad to you believe you me you could not be further from the truth.
Apart from the shite hole that is Jackie Bakers, there is nowhere within walking distance of my home to safely walk my dogs safely and I mean NOWHERE.
ALL DOGS SHOULD BE ON THEIR LEADS NO MATTER WHAT THEIR OWNERS SAY THEY ARE HARMLESS, BUT SOME OWNERS HAVE NO VERBAL CONTROL SO IT IS VERY INTIMIDATING HAVING TO WALK PAST A BIG UNCONTROLLABLE DOG (ALSATION) THE IHE OWNERS STRUGGLE TO CONTROL THE DOG AS IT IS TOO POWERFUL FOR THEM TO HANDLE.
WE NEED MORE PROSECUTIONS FOR DOGS OFF LEADS AND OWNERS FAILING TO CLEAR UP THERE ANIMAL SHITE.
and what about the human shite left in Thanet by outsiders and residents alike?
Dog walkers = Sense of entitlement. Pensioners = Sense of entitlement.
Pensioner dog walkers = Sense of entitlement off the scale.
Sense of an arguement with pensioners and/or dog walkers coming soon.
bring it on
Responsible dog owners an easy target
What about the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of humans who leave and drop their litter and vandalise our environment ALL YEAR ROUND
And what do the council do to punish them or what restrictions are imposed on them??
So many responsible dog owners are also volunteer litter pickers whilst walking their dogs. It’s the humans who are destroying our environment but the council are too scared to confront them or actually fine them.
Totally understand the summer restrictions and abide by them but this is just targeting people with a pets and exercising.
Why have the council got time to be thinking about dogs on beaches when the COVID numbers in Thanet are so very hard.
I think the council have too much time on their hands and forget that there are a lot of dog owner who are ‘voters’
Think on !!!!
Perhaps there are more voters without dogs than voters with dogs.Restrictions at Pegwell Bay should exist and be implemented all year round.
Marva give me dogs over people any day of the week, at least they do not moan and groan continuously about nothing like people do
Good grief. You really do prefer dogs to people? How can you?
Animals in general are far more honest than people, whilst not an all encompassing statement “ i’ve far more time for animals than a lot of people” . Many people cheat, decieve, are irrationally aggressive to get what they want. With animals if you get bitten you’ve done something wrong and you get the pet you want if you put the effort in. (I don’t have a pet )
Animals can’t talk , so how could they be dishonest?
Marva humans are the most destructive species on this planet just think who introduced the virus to the world certainly was nota dog hence my preference of dogs and animals in general over people.
I don’t see how you can prefer dogs to people when dogs cannot converse with you or understand all the complex things which people are interested in.
Would you ban dog owners from Ramsgate too?
Dogs are already banned from Ramsgate Main Sands during the summer.
Supposed to be, but amazing how many are roaming around, left to play on the beach, while the owner lays in the sun.
I see the dog nutters are out in force. Take responsibility for your animal and its actions. Accept that there should be places for those who don’t like dogs to go and be free of your burden.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogfree/
well said
What about the multitude of humans who drop so much litter, are aggressive, graffiti, drink alcohol in parks and on the beach ??
They’re a different problem.
still a problem that is getting worse and not being dealt with as not such an easy target as well as costing tax payers far more money in the clearing up etc
I am not talking about the main sands where people can leave any amount of rubbish on the beaches,’# but there is no talk of banning them this is victimization at its worst
To call restrictions on dogs “victimization at its worst” is such an exaggeration that it’s hardly surprising that people who are not all that keen on dogs sometimes take exception to that kind of comment.
totally agree with you on this
So I am a dog nutter am I? time for insults now is it? this is exactly why I prefer dogs to people and IDO take responsibility for my dogs as I have said previously. if you do not like being near dogs stay away from where we are allowed to walk them a lot of you want dogs banned from beaches and parksso pray tell me where exactly do dog owners walk their dogs?perhaps you would like the to poo in your gardens the same as cats do ?
#
Being a dog owner I would like to see dog licences and compulsory dog training . no ifs or buts. I often clean up other dog owners dog poo. not nice but needs doing all the same. some owners are very irresponsible. I don’t have a problem with beach bans but I would if park bans came in. I often see dogs being walked on those daft extendable leads and then owners say they are under control, sorry but not true. How is a dog under control if it is 10 feet or more away from you. Look at the dog laws to find out about dog control. Good training is for owners as much as dogs.
Since when have the people of Thanet become so ruddy righteous?
lets tar ‘ALL’ humans with the same brush as you do the irresponsible dog owners.
ALL humans are guilty of dropping their litter on our streets and beaches so lets ban them all from all these places as the impact on our environment and cost to the tax payer in picking up and disposing of the tons upon tons of litter goes into the millions. Yes, there is a problem with irresponsible dog owners not picking up after their dog but it’s nothing compared to the rubbish that is so casually discarded !
Nonsense. Not all humans-not even all local humans- drop litter on streets and beaches. You are making a completely unfounded generalization.
absolutely, the point I was making was NOT ALL DOG OWNERS ARE IRRESPONSIBLE and it’s the few who do not clean up after their dog
did you not read all the post?
Please explain what the first sentence in your 11.29 post means. It sounds as if you think some writers in this comment thread are blaming all dog owners for irresponsible behaviour regarding training their dogs and picking up dogshit. But nobody has done that.
I’m saying in response to the anti- dog comments that are tarring all dog owners as irresponsible. There are few dog owners who don’t pick up after their dog and let run wild, majority of us dog owners are responsible and my post was a sarcastic response to say let’s tar all humans as being litter droppers
I still don’t see why (sarcasm or not) you think that some people are “tarring all dog owners are irresponsible”.
People who do not, and don’t want a dog are clearly going to agree to more dog restrictions. Reading all the anti dog comments clearly shows that they have no empathy towards dogs and feel all dogs leave their fouling left on pavements, beaches and parks. This is not the case but humans littering is a much bigger problem and cost to the tax payer. It is an offence to drop litter but very very few are given out. Remember the massive parties on Margate Sands in the summer (happens every year) all down from London and leave tons and tons of rubbish for volunteers (I’m one, are you?) and the cost to the local council in removing it all. The council do not impose those fines or deal with the groups who are not abiding by the restrictions to have these massive parties on the beach etc etc and yet, can afford to spend the time and money to impose ‘extra’ restrictions on locals walking their dogs, who, I might add, are regular volunteer litter pickers. Why not treat the litter pickers the same? No, they won’t because dog owners are a much easier target as not so scary as the gangs of humans leaving their rubbish that includes dirty nappies, dirty sanitary wear, disposable plates cups cutlery food wrappers etc etc on the beaches and in parks
But the problem of people who leave litter is irrelevant to this article. So why keep writing about it here?
It is relevant concerning health, safety and environmental issues and the fact we have a council on the brink of bankruptcy wasting valuable time and money on this rather than bigger issues
This article has a narrow focus, however.