List of locations where dogs may be BANNED in Wirral

If approved, the Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), which include bans at cemeteries, picnic areas and playgrounds across the borough, would come into force from April 1.

It’s in a bid to clamp down on dog fouling and incidents in the borough. Dozens of locations from Arrowe Park to Eastham Rake to Irby to Wallasey would be affected by the new rules, which also include areas where the animals would need to be kept on leads.

The rules will be considered by the council’s special environment overview and scrutiny committee on January 15.

Documents released ahead of the meeting said: “The proposed dog control measures have been developed in response to extensive resident feedback expressing concern at the levels of dog fouling and dog nuisance in Wirral.

“It is clear that this feedback is related to a small minority of dog owners and is by no means a reflection of the behaviour of many thousands of dog owners in the borough.”

It follows a public consultation that took place last year to ask residents for views on whether to introduce the PSPOs.

When the proposals were introduced in June, they also included dog bans on beaches around the borough.

There was a huge public backlash at the time, with a petition signed by over 15,000 people, and the council announced shortly after that the beach plans – as well as ruling dogs to be kept on leads in public areas of allotment sites – would be cancelled.

But the public documents revealing the new proposed PSPOs were released on Monday.

They said the order will help increase the number of responsible dog owners, as well as make parks and open spaces more enjoyable and safe.

The orders will last for three years from April 1, and if councillors approve, officers will be instructed to make arrangements to put the rules in place.

The committee will be asked to consider the proposals and provide comments to Cllr Anita Leech, cabinet member for environment.

This is the full list of locations where dogs will now be banned all-year round, except where noted differently:

Marked sports pitches

Belvidere Road, Liscard

Central Park, Liscard

Harrison Park, New Brighton

Lingham Park, Moreton

Tower Grounds, New Brighton

Upton Park, Moreton

Arrowe Park, Woodchurch

Higher Bebington, Bebington

Mayfields Playing Fields, New Ferry

Plymyard Playing Fields, Wirral South

Birkenhead Park

Bowling greens

Arrowe Park, Upton

Ashton Park, West Kirby

Birkenhead Park

Bromborough Rec, Bromborough

Central Park, Wallasey

Coronation Park, Greasby

Harrison Park, Wallasey

Heswall

Higher Bebington Park

Irby Park, Irby

Lingham Park, Moreton

Marine Park, West Kirby

Meols Park (Meols Lwr Green), Meols

Meols Parade Gardens

Newton Park, Birkenhead

Poll Hill, Heswall

Quarry Recreation Ground, Wallasey

Queens Park, Birkenhead

Saughall Grange

Victoria Gardens, West Kirby

Victoria Park, Rock Ferry

Children’s playgrounds, ball courts and multi use games areas (MUGAs)

Arrowe Park kickabout, toddlers site playground, main swing site playground and tennis court

Ashton Park playground, tennis court and MUGA

Bedford Road/New Chester Road playground, Rock Ferry

Beechwood Park playground

Beechwood Recreation Centre MUGA

Bidston Green Drive kickabout

Birkenhead Park playground and tennis courts

Bridle Road playground, Eastham

Bromborough Recreation Ground playground

Brookhurst Park – The Chase playground, Eastham

Cameron Road playground, Bidston

Carr Lane Recreation Ground playground, Hoylake

Central Park playground and MUGA, Wallasey

Coronation Park playground and tennis courts

Demesne Street playground, Wallasey

Ditton Lane playground, Leasowe

Duck Pond Lane playground, Birkenhead

Earlston Gardens playground, Wallasey

Eastham wheel park

Eastham Rake playground

Eaton Place playground, Birkenhead

Fender Skatepark, Prenton

Fulford Park playground, Moreton

Gautby Road kickabout, Birkenhead

Gayton wheel park

Gayton Park playground

Harrison Park playground, MUGA and tennis courts

Higher Bebington Recreation Ground playground and tennis courts

Ilchester Park playground and MUGA, Birkenhead

Irby Recreation Ground playground and tennis courts

Kelsall Avenue playground, Eastham

Lincoln Street MUGA, Birkenhead

Lingham Park playground and wheel park, Moreton

Luke Street MUGA, Wallasey

Marfords Park playground, Bromborough

Marine Park tennis courts, West Kirby

Mayer Park playground, Bebington

Meols Parade Gardens tennis courts, basketball courts and kickabout

Meols Recreation Ground playground

Mersey Park playground and MUGA, Tranmere

Moreton Linear Park playground

New Chester Road MUGA, Birkenhead

New Ferry Park playground

Newton Park playground, West Kirby

Pembroke Court MUGA, Birkenhead

Prenton Hall Road playground

Price Street playground, Birkenhead

Quarry Recreation Ground playground and MUGA

Queens Park playground, Birkenhead

Rappart Road kickabout, Wallasey

Ridgewood Park playground, Pensby

Rose Brae playground, Birkenhead

Rycroft Play Area, The Grove playground, Poulton

Saughall Grange tennis courts, Saughall Massie

The Grove Recreation Ground playground, Hoylake

The Puddydale playground, Heswall

The Tower Grounds playground and wheel park, New Brighton

The Woodlands Park playground, Birkenhead

Thornton Hough Village Green playground

Thorsway playground, Caldy

Tollemache Road Recreation Ground playground, Birkenhead

Top Park playground and MUGA, Bebington

Torr Park playground and tennis courts, Eastham

Twickenham Drive playground, Leasowe

Union Street MUGA, Birkenhead

Upton Park playground, Birkenhead

Urmson Road playground, Wallasey

Vale Park playground, New Brighton

Victoria Park playground, Wallasey

Vulcan Street playground, Birkenhead

Wallacre Road playground, Wallasey

Warwick Park playground, Upton

Wheatland Lane playground, Wallasey

Whitfield Common playground, Heswall

Woodchurch Leisure Centre MUGA, Birkenhead

Yew Tree Green playground and MUGA, Bebington

Picnic areas – where dogs will need to be kept on leads

Wirral Country Park, Thurstaston

Wirral Country Park Campsite

Cemetries and crematoriums – where dogs will need to be kept on leads

Bebington Cemetery (Town Lane)

Flaybrick Cemetery, Birkenhead

Frankby Cemetery

Grange Cemetery, Birkenhead

Landican Cemetery and Crematorium, Birkenhead

Plymyard Cemetery, Birkenhead

Wallasey Cemetery (Rake Lane)

The council said the Ipsos Mori Residents Survey carried out in 2017 found dog fouling to be “very important” to Wirral residents.

The report said: “Area cleanliness is a key driver to local area satisfaction and also of the Council representing value for money, so it is important to understand what shapes perceptions of litter issues.

“Dog fouling comes out as the top issue across the board, with all constituencies bar Wirral West naming it as the top issue in their area.”

The report added that the number of dog attacks in Wirral has risen in recent years – from 23 in 2012 to 170 in 2017. The council said the 2018 figure is even higher – with 18 attacks between April and July alone.

It said: “Members of all parties will also be aware that this is an issue which prompts hundreds of complaints from residents every year, either direct to the Council, on social media, through the local press or through Member surgeries and community outreach.

“These proposals are a key part of our response to this feedback, and a genuine effort to keep defined areas of Wirral’s parks, beaches and open spaces completely free of dog fouling and dog nuisance.”