Dogs and dog mess in children's play areas and playing fields is a problem for most villages around the country and Haddenham Parish Council has years of complaints about it. HPC is therefore trying to find a solution and have put many hours into new draft proposals. Here are the details:
Draft Dog Control Orders
Haddenham Parish council is responsible for managing public open spaces in Haddenham which have a number of uses with different requirements. Dog walking is an essential part of dog ownership and provides good exercise and social opportunity for owners as well as dogs. The vast majority of dog owners walk their dogs responsibly and recognise that they share the open spaces with other users. However there are a few individuals that refuse to comply with the 'No Dogs' signs previously erected by the council and it has been difficult to stop them walking their dogs on the playing fields and in the children's play areas.
The Parish Council has agreed, subject to public consultation, to implement Dog Control Orders under the Dog Control Order Regulations (2006) for Haddenham Recreation Ground, Haddenham Allotments, The old Station play area, Banks Park and the Airfield playing field. These add legal powers to the council's existing 'No Dogs' signs and enables action to be taken against persistent offenders. The council will be formally consulting residents on the proposals, details of which can be examined at the parish council office, Banks Park or at the parish council website (www.haddenham-bucks-pc.gov.uk/). Public consultation is scheduled to finish on Thursday 14th August with implementation of the new orders in mid September.
The orders will make it an offence to permit a dog to be in an area where dogs are not permitted or to allow a dog to be off the lead in an area where dogs must be kept on a lead. The areas covered are summarised below (full details available in the public consultation referred to above):
- Banks Park: No Dogs in the childrens play area and adjacent grass area
- Recreation Ground: No dogs in the playing field area, Dogs must be kept on a lead in all other parts of the recreation ground and around the social centre.
- Old Station play area: No dogs in the play area , Dogs must be kept on a lead on the path through the area
- Allotments -'No dogs'. Dogs are not permitted on the allotments
- Airfield Playing fields – No Dogs. Dogs are not permitted on the football pitch or surround.
There are plenty of other areas in the village where dogs can be walked and let off the lead and with the implementation of the excellent Wytchert Way footpath network many further opportunities.
For more information and advice on how to comment on the proposals, please click here
