Dog walkers and Vale Council are working closely together to meet the challenge to ensure that dog mess is cleaned up and there are sensible measures as a result of an intervention by Alun Cairns MP.
The Vale MP has brought community campaigners together with representatives from the Vale Council, including the Leader Cllr John Thomas and relevant Cabinet Member Cllr Geoffrey Cox, to discuss the proposed ‘dog controls’.
The controls, otherwise known as Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), had caused a major backlash amongst dog owners in the Vale, with social media campaigns gathering thousands of followers.
The public consultation has now closed with the results expected to be released by October. The Council are in the process of considering responses and used this meeting to discuss their initial findings and how they can work in cooperation with responsible dog owners. The aim of the meeting was to find a reasonable way forward and joint approach. This would attempt to meet the needs of dog owners but also tackles issues such as dog fouling.
At the meeting it was decided that the Council will continue to regularly meet dog owners to track the progress of any changes that are introduced, ensuring that this becomes a process with dialogue from the community.
Mr Cairns said, “I’m very glad that the Council agreed to meet with me and members from the campaign group to discuss the proposals. This is a real result for dog owners and I felt that the meeting went very well, with both sides approaching the matter sensibly.”
He added, “Having joined the campaign groups in their fight against excessive controls, I wanted to ensure that community voices are heard in this process. That’s why I’m very pleased that the conversations will be continuous as this progresses, ensuring that dog owners can feedback on what works and what doesn’t.”