Point of Dales BBQ ban queried over lack of fines

A public spaces protection order (PSPO) was first introduced in 2022

Restrictions on barbecues, fires and dog fouling on public land in the Derbyshire Dales have been compared to the "Emperor's new clothes", with no fines issued in three years.

Derbyshire Dales District Council introduced a public spaces protection order (PSPO), which covers the land it owns and manages, in 2022 and has agreed to extend it for another three years.

However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said no fines had been issued and no prosecutions pursued because it was not enforced by any council officers.

They can be deployed by the police, but the point of the PSPO was questioned during a council debate, in which the authority said "the signage is a deterrent".

All land with public access, including restricted byways, cycle tracks and footpaths, is now covered by the powers that allow the council to issue £100 fines to those who break the rules.

After the PSPO was extended, Conservative councillor Sue Hobson said the authority had not "given a ticket for anything".

"It is like the Emperor's clothes that we have this enforcement and we put signs up but we are not doing anything about it," she added.

"I am sure if you went up to Stanton Peak nearly every weekend during the summer there are people having fires there. This is an issue."

Letters to government

In response, Vicky Winfield, the council's neighbourhood manager, said: "I think we are quite lucky in the Dales in that we don't have a massive issue in any of the areas that we are covering.

"The signage is a deterrent. On our land we may be able to enforce in the future."

According to the LDRS, she said the issue with enforcement was "that you are never going to be in the right place at the right time".

Ms Winfield said incidents were likely to take place in the evenings and at weekends, and she did not want to appoint an "isolated" officer to be put in that position.

The council is also applying to the government to approve an increase in the amount it can fine people.

But Derbyshire First councillor Gareth Gee said: "If we haven't really got any hope of catching anybody and if we haven't caught anybody and we never prosecute anybody, we haven't prosecuted anybody for the last four years, is it worth the time to write to the secretary of state to increase the fine?"

Ms Winfield said the proposed letters to the government formed a united effort with councils, where some authorities do have enforcement in place to issue fines.

An exception to the order has been made for gas-powered stoves weighing less than 600 grams (excluding fuel) and emitting energy of less than 3,000 watts to enable Duke of Edinburgh students and mountain rescue personnel to carry out their activities unrestricted.