Shifnal park a dog-free zone under new order
Dog owners will no longer be able to take their pets into one of Shifnal's parks under a new dog control order from Shropshire Council.
The park in Curriers Lane is a dog free zone, under the new regulations. Members of Shifnal Town Council were told of the change at their meeting in the Old Fire Station yesterday.
Clerk to the Council, Mac Sandal, said the park was one of a number of areas in Shifnal which was put forward for consideration to be part of the order, but it is the only one which has been accepted by Shropshire Council.
Mr Sandal said: "In regards to Curriers Lane, we have a no dog area as designated in the plan.
"We have got signs from Shropshire Council which are going to be put around the park.
"I can imagine the policing will be hard to do, but we will have to see how it goes."
The move by Shropshire Council follows consultation this year which asked for people's views on plans to revoke the various orders formerly made by the former borough and district councils. The new order came into force across the district on November 1.
It is part of the dog exclusion order, one of three new orders implemented by the council.
It makes it an offence for a person in control of a dog to allow it to enter land from which dogs are excluded, such as children's play areas, fenced-off or marked out sporting areas, fenced-off war memorials and dog-free areas in specified open spaces.
The other orders are a Fouling of Land by Dogs order, which makes it an offence for a person in control of a dog not to clean up after their dog has fouled on land to which the order applies.
It covers most publicly-accessible land in the council's area.
The final order is the dogs on leads by direction order, where council officers can request dogs are put on leads where they are not under proper control by the owner.
This also covers most publicly-accessible land in the council's area.
Anyone found to be violating any one of the three orders by Shropshire Council officers can be punished by way of an environmental crime report or a fixed penalty notice in the sum of £75, if paid within 14 days or £50 if paid within 10 days.
Dog exclusion orders are also in place on Annscroft Sports Field, near Shrewsbury; Love Lane Skate Park in Cleobury Mortimer; the land of the Severn Centre in Highley; Kemps Eye kick-a-bout area in Shrewsbury; Tedsmore Playing Fields in West Felton and the Whitehart kickabout area in Shrewsbury.
