Edinburgh council votes to allow dog walking in cemeteries

Dogs must be kept on leads in Edinburgh cemeteries

Edinburgh councillors have voted to allow dog walking to continue at city cemeteries after some mourners had called for a ban.

Culture and communities convener Val Walker, who tabled the motion for a ban, said cemeteries should be "places of quiet and reflection".

However, councillors found "insufficient evidence" to change the rules and backed an amendment to keep the status quo.

They voted 8-2 in favour of the existing rules to allow dogs if they are kept on leads.

Cllr Walker said cemeteries were "places to remember those we have lost".

The Labour councillor said: "I really hoped we could find a middle way by asking people to keep their dogs on their leads, but the reality is this hasn't worked.

"I'm still hearing of instances when dogs have been allowed off the lead and times when people visiting graves have found dog faeces and urine.

"And if that is only a few times it is still too often."

A previous law banning dogs from Edinburgh cemeteries expired in 2014.

Morningside resident Paul Irvine had led a campaign to reinstate the rule - with exceptions for assistance dogs.

It came after dogs in Morningside cemetery disturbed soft toys and tributes at the grave of his son Xander, who died aged three after being hit by a car.

Paul Irvine addressed the City of Edinburgh Council's culture and communities committee

Addressing councillors, Mr Irvine said: "Cemeteries are sacred ground. They have a core purpose that must be respected above all else.

"The unnecessary presence of dogs being blatantly exercised in cemeteries is disrespectful to the bereaved and to a cemetery's core purpose.

"Almost everyone in the city lives no more than a 10 minute walk from a park or greenspace where it is protected for good."

Awareness of rules

However, Conservative councillor Phil Doggart said only a "small number" of the city's 43 graveyards experienced issues with irresponsible owners.

He said the council could not afford to have officers patrolling to enforce the rules.

Cllr Doggart said it was an emotive issue and "we have to separate ourselves from that emotion".

He added: "What we’re looking at is a small number of cemeteries in the city where there is a significant problem.

"A lot of the cemeteries we’re talking about single figure instances."

Councillors agreed dog walking could continue with a further period of monitoring at five cemeteries - Grange, Warriston, Newington, Saughton and Morningside - that faced the most problems with dogs.

Councillors also requested that officers continue to work with dog-walkers to increase awareness of the rules at cemeteries.

Reporting by local democracy journalist Donald Turvill.