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Parents and children with councillors James Murray and Martin Klute protesting against the possible threat to dog-free Lonsdale Square |
Protesters poo-poo plan to allow dogs in parks
‘A gung-ho consultation badly thought through’
TOWN Hall chiefs called for calm this week as the row over dogs in parks and squares began to escalate.
Anxious residents across the borough were appalled that dog-free parks will disappear under proposed plans – which they say are “buried” in a complicated consultation document that also includes plans to introduce spot fines for dog-fouling.
The issue is inspiring almost as many complaints to councillors as at the height of the anger over draconian parking rules two years ago.
Deadline for consultation is today (Friday) but the executive member for leisure Councillor Ruth Polling said she will accept submissions over the weekend.
She said: “We’ve always been very clear that close contact with dog poo will do you a lot of damage, particularly with young children.
“The whole point of the consultation is to work out where it’s best to allow dogs and where not to.
“We’ve had a lot of letters about this. This is not a done deal. If you know of an area you think should be dog-free, just tell me.
“The council has 123 maintained parks. We’re only talking about 13 sites [where dogs are currently banned]. This has been a complicated consultation. I’m really sorry if residents found it difficult to follow.”
She said the new plans would also see a massive increase in enforcement officers with powers to give on-the-spot fines to unruly dog owners.
But residents warned that in such confined spaces dogs will “run amok” – frightening small children and messing the grass.
Yesterday (Thursday) residents in Lonsdale Square joined Labour councillors James Murray and Martin Klute to demonstrate about possible access.
Gillian Ladd, owner of the Beckett House nursery school near the square, said: “We have limited outdoor space so we bring the children to play in the square.
“We couldn’t do it if they allowed dogs in. We couldn’t sit on the grass and have a picnic and the children couldn’t run around and explore. The reason we come here is because there are no dogs.”
Dogs are currently banned from Arlington Square, Astey’s Row Playground, Astey’s Row Rock Garden, Battishill Street, Canonbury Square, Dalmeny Road, Eversleigh Street Open Space, Morton Road Playground, New River Walk, Northampton Square, Penn Road Gardens, St Silas Church Garden, Seward Street playground, Wilmington Square, Woodfall Road Open Space.
Cllr Klute said he did not think the health issues are being thought through.
He added: “A huge number of residents are very upset about this. The consultation appears to be about trying to get irresponsible dog owners to behave themselves.
“It’s almost as if they are going out of their way to conceal the fact that they are trying to relax the areas.
“It’s a gung-ho consultation that’s been badly thought through. The consultation should be rerun, making clear that the council is proposing to relax the areas where dogs are allowed.”
Not everyone was against dogs using parks and squares.
Fiona Barrie, from Barnsbury said: “Many dog owners want to use the squares. As long as they keep their pets under control, why should anyone complain? Considering the behaviour of some teenagers, quite a lot of fuss is being made about dogs.”
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