Ashfield dog-fouling hotspots to be identified after review of ‘significant’ issue

A review into the problem has concluded Ashfield Council needs to keep on putting resources and funding into tackling it.

Planned tactics include education measures about responsible dog ownership and ramping up enforcement powers.

Allowing a dog to foul without clearing up after it is currently an offence covered by a district-wide public spaces protection order – fines can be issued if an irresponsible dog owner is found to not be picking up after their pets.

The authority says it also offers dog waste bags at the entrances of several parks and open spaces and “forgetting bags … is not an acceptable excuse”.

Now, following a scrutiny review at the council, there are plans to identify hotspot areas where dog waste is frequently left.

Coun Christian Chapman, scrutiny committee chairman, told the latest council cabinet meeting: “There’s definitely an emphasis on allowing residents to pick up after themselves, but also finding those residents to change their social outlook.

“If we can get them to clean up after themselves it then saves the council money and therefore also saves them money too.”

Coun David Hennigan, executive member for climate action strategy and corporate communications, said the district is “let down” by a few irresponsible people.

He said: “We face significant issues with dog fouling in and around Sutton Lawn and on the terraced streets nearby.

“If the county council deals with roads and pavements, this is almost the bread and butter of what this council does.

“While it’s clear the majority of dog owners in Ashfield are responsible, it’s also clear there are a few who let us down.”

However, Coun Matt Relf, executive member for regeneration and corporate transformation, believes the issue “should not be inevitable”.

“It’s a perennial issue we all face and, while we want to tackle it, seemingly there are irresponsible dog owners all over the world,” he said.

“It should not be inevitable that people having dogs or litter in their hands should result in us needing to go and clean it up.”

Further investigations into tackling the issue will follow after the scrutiny panel’s findings were reported to the Ashfield Independent administration.