South Kesteven District Council set to renew order for dogs to stay on leads at The Spinney in Market Deeping
Dogs will need to stay on leads in a park if an order is renewed.
Ahead of a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, November 5, South Kesteven District Council officers have recommended councillors approve the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for The Spinney in Market Deeping, a wooded area of calm and tranquillity designated for the scattering of ashes.
SKDC first introduced the rule requiring dogs to be kept on leads of no more than one metre in October 2020 after Market Deeping Town Council reported that a recently widowed woman visited the area before having her husband's ashes scattered. During her visit, she witnessed dogs running freely among the wooded planting area, scratching around the earth where ashes had been scattered, and defecating in the vicinity.
A representative from district council previously stated: “The council welcomes dogs in both the cemetery and The Spinney, but it is a matter of concern that these incidents caused the lady considerable distress."
A four-week consultation was undertaken from Wednesday, July 31, to Wednesday, August 28, this year in the form of a questionnaire on the council's website, which garnered 33 responses.
Participants were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the proposal to reinstate the PSPO. Of those surveyed, 75.8% (25 respondents) supported the proposal, while the remaining 24.2% (eight respondents) did not.
A third question on the survey asked respondents if implementing the PSPO would have a negative impact on them, to which 75% (21 respondents) indicated that they did not think it would.
Concerns were raised by one respondent who opposed the PSPO, citing issues with the length of the lead specified in the draft order. They requested that it be amended from one metre to two metres on animal welfare grounds.
The council is expected to make a decision on whether the length of the lead in the order should be amended during Tuesday's meeting.
