Ribble Valley council consults on dog controls

Ribble Valley Borough Council is consulting on whether its public spaces protection order on dog control, which has been in place since 2017, should continue.

The order is renewed every three years, and with the current version due to expire in October, the council wants to know if a range of restrictions on anti-social dog ownership should remain in force.

The PSPO makes it an offence to pick up after a dog, to fail to carry dog waste bags while walking a dog, or to walk more than four dogs at once.

In addition, dog walkers can be fined for allowing dogs off the lead in Clitheroe Cemetery or for taking animals into playgrounds or sports pitches anywhere in the borough. Refusing to put a dog on a lead when instructed by a dog warden can also result in enforcement action.

Those who breach the rules can either pay the fixed penalty notice or challenge it in court, where fines of up to £1,000 can be imposed.

Mark Hindle, chairman of the council’s health and housing committee, said: “Without the order, we would not be able to keep the borough clean, safe and healthy, tackle dog fouling and nuisance dog behaviour, or enforce the restrictions, so we want to hear from residents, including dog owners, on whether they want it to continue.”

The consultation, which will run until 19 July, can be found here.