A range of measures is set to be brought in by Dover District Council to renew and update rules on dog control, street drinking and unauthorised camping, and help make sure the area continues to be safe, clean and tidy for the future.
DDC’s Cabinet has agreed to renew and amend two previous Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) into one updated PSPO. This follows consultation earlier this year, and around 1,000 comments being taken fully into consideration.
The new PSPO is set to be introduced from 26 July 2022 and will run for a 3-year period.
Following consultation, amendments to the draft PSPO include:
- Retain the dogs on lead restrictions of the 2018 order at Princes Golf Course Dune and not include the beach area detailed in original proposal
- To not include Whitfield recreation ground in the new PSPO
- To reduce the seasonal dogs on lead restriction at Walmer Green to 9am to 6pm between 1 May and 30 September, to be in keeping with the revised seasonal dog beach bans
- To amend the order to reduce the seasonal beach dog exclusion hours, to be effective from 9am to 6pm between 1 May and 30 September.
PSPOs specify an area where activities are taking place that are or may likely be detrimental to the local community’s quality of life. PSPOs impose conditions or restrictions on people using that area. This includes rules on dog control.
Following feedback and consultation with residents and partner agencies, the previous nuisance street drinking element is now being consolidated and extended to cover the whole of the district. Plus, following various complaints, a new ban on unauthorised camping in public areas is being introduced to combat the anti-social behaviour and environmental impact associated with such acts that can affect local communities.
DDC’s Cabinet has also agreed to the recruitment of three additional officers in the Environmental Crime team for littering and dog fouling enforcement. This follows the ending of the most recent contract with an external contractor.
Cllr Martin Bates, DDC Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said: “We continue to listen to our communities and to take action accordingly. We thank everyone who took part in the recent PSPO consultation, and we have carefully looked at all proposals, and taken all public feedback carefully into consideration.”
For more information, please see the reports to Cabinet on 6 June and Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 13 June.
Posted on 14 June 2022