Councillors have thrown their support behind the new public space protection orders (PSPOs) but questioned how it could be properly enforced.
The new PSPOs are set for approval today (Thursday) by the Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet and will make the control of dogs and drinking in public spaces more enforceable.
Restrictions being introduced relate to dogs on leads in cemeteries and fenced children’s play areas, with a new area included keeping dogs on leads at St Helens revetment.
More than 1,000 people responded to the council’s consultations on the proposed orders, with the majority in favour.
Councillors at the Isle of Wight Council’s corporate scrutiny committee meeting this week blamed bad owners rather than bad dogs and agreed it was a fine balance between keeping the Island as a dog-friendly destination for tourism but also respecting the views of others.
Cllr Debbie Andre said she felt the Island needed a bespoke plan for dogs orders and was concerned over the blanket ban of dogs on certain beaches over the summer.
She suggested timeframes over the summer period when the beaches are empty that dogs could be allowed onto the beach.
She said:
“We cannot underestimate the tourism being a dog-friendly Island brings. As a dog owner, I don’t actually go on beaches when it is busy because it is too much hassle.
“I would have like to have seen something that didn’t go quite so far as banning dogs on the beaches over the summer.”
Cabinet member for community safety, Cllr Gary Peace said:
“It is not our intention to force extra controls onto anybody on this Island.
“I fully appreciate we are a dog-friendly Island, that is where a lot of our tourism comes from and I don’t want to be restricting myself from walking my dog on the beach, let alone anyone else.”
Questions were raised about how the rules were going to be enforced but Cllr Peace said nothing would change from the way the current orders are being enforced.
He said:
“We don’t have the limitless numbers of enforcement officers walking around. Unfortunately, it is down to people making reports, a little bit of peer pressure and education."
When going to a vote, Cllr Andre didn’t support the paper, Cllr Julie Jones-Evans abstained but all other members of the committee voted in favour.
By Louise Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
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