City of London Corporation to enforce dog walking rules

The City of London Corporation, the governing body of the City of London, has voted unanimously to back a new role to enforces the laws around dog walking in a bid to tackle increasing poor behaviour. 

The move follows a report by the Corporation which details worsening dog-related issues across the city’s garden sites, primarily in Smithfield Rotunda, St Barts the Great, and Bunhill Fields, “prompting the need to consider more proactive measures”. 

The report says city gardeners had recorded 191 incidents over the past year, consisting of 167 cases of dogs being off leads, 22 for dog mess, and two for digging holes. 

Jake Tibbetts, City Gardens Manager, said the additional powers would be granted to a current gardener, and would not involve the hiring of a new employee. 

The Corporation’s report also recommended exploring using Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), which can be introduced to help manage issues affecting public spaces.

Both recommendations were passed unanimously by the board members.