Flintshire councillors asked to support extending public orders to tackle dog fouling and drinking in

Backbench councillors are being asked to support extending orders designed to tackle dog fouling and drinking in public places.

Flintshire Council recently held a consultation over two Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) which have been in place in the county since 2017.

One requires dog owners to pick up their pet’s waste and prevents them entering the boundaries of marked sports pitches.

Meanwhile, the other gives police the power to ask people to surrender their alcohol if they are deemed to be causing a nuisance in public areas.

Those who fail to observe the rules face the risk of being fined.

People who took part in the consultation were generally supportive of renewing the orders for a further three years when they expire this month.

Members of the local authority’s environment and economy scrutiny committee will also be asked to back the measures when they meet next week.

In a joint report, two senior officials said not having the PSPOs in place would mean no enforcement could be carried out.

Steve Jones and Andrew Farrow, who are responsible for streetscene and environment respectively, said: “Public Space Protection Orders are designed to stop individuals, or groups, committing anti-social behaviour in a public place.

“PSPOs may not be made for a period of more than three years, but can be extended or varied if legal requirements are met.

“Flintshire County Council has two PSPOs in place, one covering dog control measures and one covering alcohol control, both of which are due to expire in October 2020.”

They added: “Following review of all consultation feedback it is recommended that both PSPOs be renewed for a further three year period from October 2020, with existing restrictions continuing to be enforced.

“It is also recommended that streetscene services undertakes a full review of current signage for the dog control PSPO, at all locations, to ensure they are complete and accurate.”

A total of 66 responses were received in relation to the dog control PSPO with all of them in support of pet owners being made to put their dogs on a lead when requested by an authorised officer.
There was also unanimous backing for ensuring that dog owners have a way of picking up their animal’s waste up.

In addition, a total of 34 responses were submitted regarding the alcohol PSPO with 88 per cent in favour of continuing the order.

The recommendations will be discussed at the committee’s next meeting on Tuesday, October 13.

Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).