People who take dogs on beaches where they are banned may be offered a warning rather than a fine this summer. The trial is being considered in Pembrokeshire with the aim of prioritising "education over enforcement".
Historically, from May 1 to September 30, dogs have faced outright bans on many of the county's most famous beaches which are popular with visitors. These include Tenby North Beach and Whitesands in St Davids as well as parts of Lydstep, Newgale, Saundersfoot, Tenby Castle and South Beach, Amroth beach and Promenade, Poppit Sands, Broad Haven North, Dale, and Coppet Hall (where a voluntary ban is in place).
The Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held by Pembrokeshire County Council on March 27 heard that a council Task and Finish Group had deliberated on modernising the existing protocol, aiming to better educate both locals and tourists about the regulations concerning dogs on beaches.
The committee was told: "Based on feedback received by members from users both residents and visitors, the view of the group was that a level of enforcement was required but to undertake a trial surrounding a blended approach associated with the issues of warnings for first-time offenders, combined with the issuing of fixed penalty notices where appropriate."
The statement clarified: "This is only for dogs on beaches; dog fouling on the street and beach will continue to be enforced."
The proposed solution involves a three-pronged strategy: enhancing communication and visibility of dog-free zones through a signage review and increased presence of Enviro-crime officers, revising bylaws, and piloting a new procedure for enforcing dog restrictions on beaches in 2025.
In terms of the beach trial, the report suggested an "intelligence-led" approach to address problem areas.
It further detailed: "The response by the Enviro-crime contractor will be based on the following procedure. If individuals are found with dogs within a restricted area, enforcement officers will undertake the following:
"Engage with the dog owners, issue a warning – full contact details will be taken. Dog owner will be requested to walk away from the restricted area – failing to do so will result in a FPN being issued. Dog owners will be asked to put their dog on a lead – failure to do so will result in a FPN being issued.
"Second offence after a warning will result in a FPN being issued. Dog fouling – FPN will be issued.
The report concluded: "The view of the task and finish group was these measures would enable a trial season where education is given priority over enforcement, which could then be compared with the 2024 season of full enforcement. This will enable the committee to assess the two operating models when reviewed following the 2025 season."
During the meeting, Cllr Rhys Jordan supported the proposal but highlighted his concerns about "blanket bans" on a number of the county's beaches, claiming they were "overly punitive on dog owners.
He said: "Responsible owners do look after their dogs, but unfortunately it is the small minority; to have six or seven months of the year that certain beaches are completely banned from dogs is a bit much in my view.
The committee's chair, Cllr Mark Carter, said: "70 per cent of those caught with dogs are tourists, I really think we're sending out the wrong message; giving a warning is fair in my mind, it's good for business and good for tourism; I'm very grateful to officers for getting this to this level. ".
The members subsequently reached a consensus to endorse the recommendations put forth by the task and finish group.
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