Committee votes to SCRAP 'ridiculous' rules banning dogs from 117 locations across Wirral

The controversial proposals, which would govern where people can walk their pets in the borough, were rejected by the council’s environment overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday.

At a heated meeting attended by dozens of members of the public, a close vote saw a recommendation that the cabinet instead use “existing powers to deal with the minority of dog owners who act in an irresponsible manner”.

The committee’s views will now be put to the cabinet member for environment Cllr Anita Leech, who will make a final decision on the Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs).

If introduced, the PSPOs would include bans at cemeteries, picnic areas and playgrounds across the borough, and would come into force from April 1.

They were initially created 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.

It would also include several other rules, including that owners must carry poo bags, a limit on the number of pets that can be walked by a single person to six, and that leads must be no longer than 2m in length.

While the recommendation made on Tuesday does not force the cabinet into a decision, it will be an important factor in the decision – and came as something of a shock to many at Wallasey Town Hall.

That included Rob Wilkinson, who spoke on behalf of campaign group Wirral Good Dogs – who gathered thousands of names in a petition against the plans.

Speaking after the decision was voted through by eight votes to seven, he described it as an “incredible moral victory”.

He added: “It’s fantastic news. Everybody is saying they can’t believe it.

“It shows the weight of opinion that’s behind this. They can throw all of the status at us, we can throw them all back.”

Cllr Ian Lewis said the PSPOs showed the cabinet was becoming “arrogant and out of touch”.

He added: “The committee this evening, including Labour councillors, rejects their plan. Instead, the council should use the powers they have to tackle dog fouling wherever it occurs, including shopping areas, school gates and residential roads.”

Speaking at the meeting to oppose the decision, Mr Wilkinson said there had been a “mixture between facts and reality” in the dog bans debate.

He added: “2% of dog owners are irresponsible. You are using a big stick for a small problem.”

He added: “[People who let their dogs foul] deserve fining. But it doesn’t resolve the issue.

“They will still have a dangerous dog, and still visit that park every day.

“Kingdom might go there and the dog owner might give them the wrong name.

“This PSPO does not in any shape or form address the issues that need addressing.”

But Mike Cockburn, lead commissioner for environment at the council, said the PSPOs were aimed at “delivering behaviour change” and followed a consultation that spoke to 9,000 Wirral residents.

He said: “The proposals will allow for a cleaner safer environment for all to enjoy across Wirral’s open spaces and parks.

“We have listened. A range of measures including those for beaches have been removed.

“We are serious about tackling residents’ number one issue in terms of cleanliness.”

During the meeting, the proposals were widely attacked by members of the committee, particularly from the Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors.

Several, including Cllr Adam Sykes, said the PSPOs will just tackle the “easy wins”, including dog owners not knowing the rules and walking onto one of the sports pitches, instead of working to reduce dog fouling, which is the “real problem” and much more difficult to address.

He also raised fears over what the PSPO will do for the visitor economy and businesses relying on dog walkers, concluding: “This is just not going to work. It’s totally pointless and we need to start again.”

Cllr Tony Cox added: “This is disproportionate, heavy-handed and draconian in its nature, and there are holes in the policy as well.”

He echoed points about the “easy fines” Kingdom would chase, as well as describing the six-dog rule as “ridiculous”.

If approved by the cabinet, the orders will last for three years from April, but Cllr Brian Kenny suggested an alternative – a “trial” run for the measures.

He said: “Last year, officers of this council were instructed to go away and review and come back with a proposal for a PSPO.

“It may be some people don’t like it – but we should at least give some respect to the officer for doing what he was instructed to do.

“We have had a major consultation. Most people have given their views. I don’t think we can just ignore that.

“Let’s make a compromise. To agree to a trial for 12 months on the basis that it’s subject to a review.”

His amendment was voted down.

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 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.