Dog beach ban to remain as council fears 'tensions'

The decision follows a public consultation on the areas where dogs are banned along the seafront in Southsea and Eastney

A ban on dogs walking on a beach will be kept in place after a council said lifting it could cause "community tensions".

Instead Portsmouth City Council agreed to move the eastern boundary of the exclusion zone on Southsea Beach to provide additional space for dog walkers.

It follows public feedback regarding rules on when and where dogs are allowed along the seafront in Southsea and Eastney.

The local authority also said lifting the ban could be hard to enforce.

One proposal focused on the current rule banning dogs from between Southsea Castle and the Royal Marines Yomper Statue from 30 April to 30 September.

The council explored the option of allowing dogs on the beach during mornings and evenings in the summer, but decided against it.

The boundary will now be moved from the Yomper Statue to the Eastney Coffee Cup, providing more space for dog walking at Eastney Beach.

Most people supported the decision, with councillor Matthew Winnington saying the Yomper Statue was hard to see from the beach, which could confuse dog owners.

Laura Johnston, with her husband Colin and their dog Willow, said the boundary being lifted was 'exciting'

Dog owner Laura Johnston said the result was "really exciting" and it made more sense to use the Coffee Cup as a boundary marker.

On a walk with her dog Willow, she said: "I think it's quite restrictive being that end in the summer when there's loads of people around and you're trying to walk the dog and there's people everywhere, children everywhere, so it's good."

Sue Walker added: "It's great, I'm very happy. I voted online and encouraged everybody else to as well."

Sue Walker, with her dog Molly, previously spoke to the BBC to get more support for the survey

A survey, in which 67% of the respondents were dog owners or walkers, showed 58% were in favour of the proposal, although 53% of non-dog owners were strongly against the idea.

Council leader Steve Pitt said it would be hard to enforce without a dedicated patrol team.

He said it could "swiftly erode confidence amongst beach users" potentially leading to "community tensions".

Mr Pitt also said there were concerns about "a significant increase" in dog owners travelling into the city from other coastal areas.

He said the council intended to trial a seafront patrol during the next bathing season "to ensure that the needs of all seafront users are balanced”.