To consider a report by the Operational Manager (People) seeking approval to the making of a new Public Spaces Protection Order for the control of dogs.
Contact:F Flett - (01480) 388377
Minutes:
The Committee considered a report by the Operational Manager (People) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) detailing the outcome of the public consultation exercise on proposals to renew a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for the control of dogs for Huntingdonshire.
The Committee were reminded that the previous Dog Control Orders in force within the District had been converted into a single Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Huntingdonshire in 2017. This was due to expire in October 2020 and authorisation was now being sought to extend the Order for a further three years.
Members were advised that the current PSPO had been a valuable enforcement and prevention tool and that the number of complaints relating to dog control had fallen significantly since it came into force. The Committee were informed that it had not proven necessary to adjust any of the provisions of the current order during its lifetime and it was not intended to change any of the conditions or areas where the Order was to be in force.
In order to implement a PSPO, the Committee were informed that the Council was required to carry out a consultation exercise with both statutory consultees and members of the public. This has been undertaken during the summer period and extended to enable a further opportunity for individuals to make comments. The consultation exercise had indicated strong support for retaining the controls retained within the existing order.
The Committee’s attention was then drawn to Appendix 2 to the report which set out the detailed responses to the consultation exercise. A summary of the findings from each response was also provided by the Operational Manager (Business).
In reviewing the responses from the consultation, clarification was sought as to why (with the exception of the designated locations) the requirement to keep dogs on leads at all times only applied to road carriageways and verges with speed limits of 40mph or less. The Committee were advised that this was a condition which had been carried forward from the previous dog control orders and was intended to reflect the fact that roads designated with this speed limit tended to be located in the more urban parts of the District where traffic flow was much busier.
Questions were also asked with regards to the number of problems with stray dogs and ‘dog attacks’ referred to within the consultation responses. In response the Committee were advised that the majority of the latter related to situations involving two dogs and the District Council dealt with very few incidents of dogs attacking members of the public. Members were please to note that issues relating to stray dogs were decreasing in numbers and that the District Council had a contract with Wood Green Animal shelter to assist with the rehoming of dogs that they were not able to reunite with their owners.
Whereupon and having noted that the new PSPO would need to be publicised for a period of 20 days before it comes into effect on 20th October 2020, it was
RESOLVED
(a) that a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering the control of dogs as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report submitted be approved; and
(b) that the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with the relevant Executive Councillor be authorised to make minor amendments to the conditions and scope of the PSPO as required.
(At 14.16pm, Councilllor S Giles joined the meeting, during the discussion on this item).
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