Possible £1k fines for dogs off leads in North Northamptonshire area

Dog owners would be legally required to keep their pets on leads in parks and cemeteries

A council has proposed introducing fines of up to £1,000 for people who let their dogs off leads on footpaths and in certain parks.

The public space protection order (PSPO) would also ban dogs from certain playing fields within the North Northamptonshire Council borders.

Leading Conservative councillors will vote on whether to launch a public consultation on the plan.

Councillor David Brackenbury said there needed to be "consistency" in the area.

"A key part of this process will be seeking views from as many people and groups as possible to ensure we have the right PSPO in place," said Mr Brackenbury, the Conservative executive member for growth and regeneration.

Hall Park in Rushden, near Wellingborough, would be one of the places where people would have to keep their dogs on a lead

There are already dog control PSPOs in place for Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northamptonshire, which were introduced before the district councils were disbanded.

A report said there had been six fines, 186 fouling complaints and 246 other dog-related complaints in these areas since April 2021.

These PSPOs are due to expire in November and there is no PSPO already covering Corby.

Under the new proposed PSPO, it would be illegal for:

• Owners not to remove dog faeces from public land

• Owners to let dogs off the lead in certain parks, footpaths, car parks and cemeteries

• Owners to allow their dogs into play areas and some parks

The council has listed 92 publicly accessible areas where the PSPO could apply to.

Owners could be issued £100 fixed penalty notices or, if escalated, could be fined up to £1,000 in magistrates' courts.

'Divisive'

Several exemptions would apply, such as for people with certain disabilities.

The consultation would be launched in June and North Northamptonshire Council's executive is expected to sign off on the idea when it meets on Thursday.

Conservative council leader Jason Smithers said: "I know this can be a divisive issue, which is why I am pleased that this report recommends a full public consultation on the draft plan, followed by another consultation later in the year."

The proposed PSPO does not suggest a ban on walking more than four dogs, which follows a backlash when the rule was introduced in parts of west Northamptonshire last year.