CHARNWOOD BOROUGH COUNCIL The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 The Dog Control Orders (Prescribed Offences and Penalties etc.) Regulations 2006 Dog Control Orders – Notice of consultation Notice is hereby given that Charnwood Borough Council proposes to make the following dog control orders under Section 55 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. They replace the previous system of byelaws for the control of dogs and the designation order under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996. and will apply to land described below as land within the Borough of Charnwood which is open to the air and to which the public is entitled or permitted to have access, with or without payment and may include some areas of access land:- 1) Dog Fouling Order This will apply to:- 1. All carriageways with a speed limit of 40 miles per hour or less and all footways, footpaths and verges running alongside them. 2. All footpaths, bridleways, cyclepaths ,byways, pedestrianised areas and all other pedestrianised ways. 3. All parks, recreation grounds, open spaces, wooded open spaces, playing fields, grassed areas, graveyards, cemeteries and car parks owned, occupied, or maintained by or on behalf of Charnwood Borough Council or Leicestershire County Council. 4. All parks, recreation grounds, open spaces, playing fields, grassed areas, graveyards, cemeteries and car parks owned, occupied, or maintained by or on behalf of any one of the following parish/town councils: Anstey, Barrow- upon - Soar, Birstall, Burton on the Wolds, Cotes and Prestwold, Cossington, East Goscote, Hathern, Hoton, Mountsorrel, Newtown Linford, Quorn, Rearsby, Rothley, Sileby, South Croxton, Thrussington, Thurcaston and Cropston, Thurmaston, Woodhouse, Wymeswold Parish Councils and Shepshed and Syston Town Councils The effect of the order is that if a dog defecates at any time on the land above and a person who is in charge of the dog at that time fails to remove the faeces from the land forthwith, that person will be guilty of an offence.There will be exemptions for blind persons with guide dogs and disabled persons using trained assistance dogs. 2) The keeping of dogs on lead by direction order This will apply to:- Name of land Location of land Charnwood Water, Loughborough Land surrounding Charnwood Water, Loughborough Linear Walk, Loughborough Linear Walk between the Leisure Centre/Brown’s Lane/ Forest Road, Loughborough Linear Walk between Forest Road/ Brookfield Avenue, Loughborough Linear Walk between Brookfield Avenue/Craven Close, Loughborough Linear Walk between Pitsford Drive/Cumberland Road, Loughborough Booth Wood, Loughborough Booth Wood, off Ravensthorpe Drive, Loughborough Shelthorpe Pitch and Putt Golf Course, Shelthorpe Pitch and Putt Golf Course Loughborough off Poplar Road, Loughborough Lakeside Development, Kelcey Road, Land surrounding the lake and adjoining Quorn land off Kelcey Road, Quorn The effect of the order is that a person in charge of a dog will be guilty of an offence if at any time on the land above, he does not comply with a direction given to him by an authorised officer to put and keep the dog on a lead. The exclusion of dogs from land order This will apply to all fenced children’s play areas under the management or control of Charnwood Borough Council and signed at the entrance as a “dogs exclusion area”(whether the sign uses those particular words or words and/or symbols having like effect). The effect of this order is that a person in charge of a dog will be guilty of an offence if he takes the dog onto, or permits the dog to enter or to remain on these play areas. There will be exemptions for blind persons with guide dogs and deaf persons and disabled persons using trained assistance dogs. Defences There are defences in all Dog Control Orders of a) having a reasonable excuse for failing to comply with an order; or b) acting with the consent of the ownwer or occupier of the land, or of any other person or authority which has control of the land Penalty The penalty on conviction for an offence is a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (maximum £1000). However an authorised officer who has reason to believe that a person has committed an offence may give that person a notice offering him the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for the offence by payment of a fixed penalty. The penalty will be set at £80 with a discounted sum of £50 if paid within 10 days. Representations The Council invites comments and views on the proposals. Any representations must be made in writing to the address or e-mail address below by the 9th November 2007 Director of Housing and Health, Charnwood Borough Council, Southfields, Southfield Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 2TX E-mail: [email protected] Copies of the proposed orders can be inspected at the Council Offices( address above). .