June 2023 – The Dogs on Beaches Consultation is out now!
The Dorset Council Dog Related Public Spaces Protection Consultation info and the link to complete the Consultation is here.
Yet again the Lyme Regis Town Council have repeated their controversial desire to ban dogs from the only safe and accessible Town (Sandy) Beach in the form of a statement to Dorset Council Dogs in Open Spaces Committee (May 2023). The Town Council again fail to consider the requirements of those dog owners who are less able bodied, have mobility issues or disabilities and are unable to use the alternative beaches and the impact a total ban would have on local businesses, dog owning visitors and residents and families with children and a family dog. This poses the question, is the request for a full ban of dogs a true representation of what residents and visitors want or could it simply be the wishes of some councillors who would like to see the beach empty in the winter months? I’d say pictures speak louder than words, check out the years worth of images of the empty Lyme Regis Town Beach at the prime time law abiding dog owners would be out exercising their dogs.
In a poll ran by the local dog group 49% have already taken their paw pounds, dog and families elsewhere for day trips and holidays due to the current dogs on leads restrictions. Many resident dog owners have resorted to jumping in to the car and driving to other dogs off lead beach friendly towns, increasing the carbon footprint, simply to exercise their dog off lead. Imagine the impact to businesses and the local economy should a full ban of dogs be granted.
Prior to 1 January 2021 dogs were permitted off lead on the safe and accessible front sandy beach in Lyme Regis, Dorset between 1 Oct and 30 April.
We have video evidence going back to 2019 highlighting who was using the only safe and accessible front sandy beach in Lyme Regis during the winter months on our YouTube Channel.
Lyme Regis Town Council submitted a statement to Dorset Council asking for a full year ban dogs on the only safe and accessible front Sandy Beach in Lyme Regis.
The Dogs on Beaches 2020 Consultation results was for dogs off leads, with 811 people out of 1174 asking for “no changes” to the dogs off leads restrictions. Sadly visitors responses were removed from the responses by Dorset Council to give a new dogs on lead restriction in winter months.
Petition of 9,164 against the restrictions sent to Dorset Council, who’d only accept those with a Dorset address. Same petition was not accepted by Lyme Regis Town Council.
Our Dog Group representatives met with The Kennel Club.
Our Dog Group requested a meeting with Dorset Council, they declined to meet with Dog Group but did meet with The Kennel Club and rejected their suggestions for a compromise.
Letter from The Kennel Club to Dorset Council
Letter from The Kennel Club to Dorset Council 3 March 2021
Dear Councillor Haynes,
We are writing to raise our concerns regarding access restrictions for dog owners at Front Town Beach, Lyme Regis, which came into force on 1 January 2021.
As the leading national organisation on dog access, The Kennel Club regularly engages with local authorities on Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) to ensure that restrictions are both proportionate and evidence-based. We believe that any dog controls introduced by local authorities should be the least restrictive possible to achieve a defined and measurable outcome, a principle which is also pursued by Natural England.
Having reviewed Dorset Council’s new PSPO, we are concerned with the restrictions now in place at Front Town Beach, Lyme Regis. Dog owners are required to provide their dogs with appropriate daily exercise, including regular opportunities to walk and run, as laid out in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ ‘Code of practice for the welfare of dogs’. In most cases, this means off-lead whilst still under control.
Beaches across Dorset have proven to be an important local resource for dog owners to ensure that their dogs get their required daily off-lead exercise. As such, we believe that the new dogs on lead measure is neither appropriate nor proportionate: we have heard from a number of concerned local residents who are unhappy that their dogs are no longer able to run, walk and explore Front Town Beach whilst off-lead. We are disappointed that the Council has, thus far, not provided those who live locally and those who travel into the area to use this important local resource an equal opportunity to have their concerns listened to, particularly given that the Council’s consultation found 49.2% of respondents are opposed to a dogs on lead measure.
With regard to the restriction excluding dogs from the beach between 1 May and 30 September, feedback and anecdotal evidence that we have received suggests that many beaches are empty in both the early mornings and late evenings, a prime time for many owners to exercise their dogs. The Kennel Club strongly believes that dog owners should be able to enjoy continued access to this beach during times of the day when the beach is little used, even in the busy season. For example, Cornwall Council has successfully introduced measures which restrict dog access in the busy season between 10am and 6pm, including on a number of Blue Badge beaches and Seaside Award beaches, but allow dog walkers access outside of these hours. We would strongly welcome a similar approach by Dorset Council, which would enable dog owners to continue to use Front Town Beach in Lyme Regis throughout the year at little inconvenience to other beach users.
As well as this, following conversations with local residents, we know that dog owners are often playing an important role within the local community: for example, we are aware that a number of dog owners regularly pick up litter left by other beach users when walking along the beach with their dogs. The Kennel Club educates and encourages dog owners to act responsibly and we believe that the vast majority of those accessing local beaches with their dogs are acting responsibly – such as by picking up litter – and should not be punished for the irresponsible behaviour of an inconsiderate few. As such, we believe that the Council should instead pursue proactive measures to promote responsible dog ownership throughout the local area. This could include increasing the number of bins available for dog owners to use, running responsible dog ownership and training events, or using poster campaigns to encourage good behaviour, including picking up after their dog.
We hope that you take our concerns into consideration. Should you wish to discuss the issues that we have raised further, we would be more than happy to meet with you.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Edward Hayes
Head of Public Affairs The Kennel Club
To date the Dog Group is highlighting the unfair restrictions imposed on dog owners and highlighting the empty safe and accessible sandy front beach at Lyme Regis on our various social media channels.