Cornwall Council reconsiders bans on dogs on beaches

Cornwall Council is offering residents and tourists the chance to say on whether beach bans for dogs over summer should remain in place.

More than 40 beaches in Cornwall have some kind of restriction for dogs on them, including popular beaches like Carbis Bay, Gyllyngvase, Swanpool, Hayle, and Pra Sands. The bans last either between 15 May and the end of September or 1 July and the end of August between 10am-6pm. Though some beaches have all-year, 24 hours bans.

The council has launched a consultation that asks a series of questions about the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which puts the ban in writing. The consultation can be found here.

Martyn Alvey, Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change, said: “When we last consulted on this subject, we had a huge response with the consensus that the regulations needed to be both simpler to understand and standardised across Cornwall. That is what we have in place now and the feedback we receive is that the current level of restrictions work well for most beach users.

“If we keep things the same, it means that during the summer months, people will be able to go down for a beach walk in the early morning and the evening with their dogs. And people who prefer a beach to be dog free will also be clear about the months and times of day they can expect this.”