Powys town council to renew efforts to tackle dog fouling as complaints stack up

Knighton Town Council is to renew its efforts to tackle dog fouling in the town.

Complaints about dog fouling in various places in the town including Broad Street, West Street, Penybont Road and the sports fields have been stacking up.

Councillor Bob Andrews said he has received several complaints.

“We have responsible dog owners but we also have irresponsible dog owners and its time we took action against the irresponsible dog owners,” he said.

Quite how we do that I don’t know but if we catch anyone allowing their dog to foul and not picking it up we have to report it. We also need disinfectant and water to be made available to the town council’s caretakers so they can wash it away.

“It’s not clever and its unhygienic, perhaps when grant funding becomes available we can apply for CCTV for problem areas.”

Councillor Ben Butler said he is a responsible dog owners and it is bad to see irresponsible owners.

“Maybe we should think of a positive campaign or some sort of advertising to make people aware of what is going on, I think it’s a minority. We need to try and make people think again, I am not sure about CCTV.”

Several years ago businesses in the town sponsored the creation of bag dispensers shaped as dog bones.

Councillor Chris Branford said some of the bags they have now are too big for the bones, while Councillor Holly Adams-Evans said she thought they need to re-make the bones as they are no longer fit for purpose.

“They are a great idea, we should not have to provide them but if it keeps the town clean and tidy than it’s worth it. Could we commission the Men’s Shed to make some for us,” Councillor Adams-Evans asked.

Deputy Mayor Councillor Tina Sharp said she thinks they should try and get some new sponsors for the dog bone dispensers as the people who were sponsors are not any longer.

Signs telling people not all dogs are friendly and to keep dogs on leads are also needed by Pinners Hole and the football field said Councillor Petranella Ford and she said they would cost less than £10.

Knighton Mayor Councillor Tom Taylor said Presteigne has got some vandal proof dog bag dispensers, where people can only get one bag out at a time rather than a handful as sometimes happens now.

Members agreed to put bags into the current dog bone dispensers, to look into the cost of vandal proof dispensers and get quotes for dog signs. The matter will be discussed again at the next meeting.