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Park Management Rules Consultation

Background

The Council has legal responsibility for the parks and play areas it owns and under its control. The Council has received reports that some children, particularly young children can be wary or frightened of dogs, especially if the dog is barking, boisterous or off a lead.

Although some play parks have boundary fences and self-closing gates, dog owners are able to take their dogs into equipped play parks as there is no rule to restrict this. The current Rules contain a general prohibition in relation to dogs causing alarm, harm or disturbing other park users.

The purpose of the amendment is to provide clarity to users of the parks and play areas on control of dogs.

Our Park Management Rules are displayed on signs and on noticeboards in all our main parks.

See phase one of the project for the proposed new rules.

Phases

Phases overview

Phase 1: Share your feedback

Share your feedback

Phase 2: We are analysing your contributions

We are analysing your contributions

Phase 3: Next Steps

Next Steps

Share your feedback

25 November 2021 00:00 - 17 January 2022 00:00

Proposed new Rules

Let us know in the comments your views about the proposed changes to the rules.

Prohibitions

No person may:

(n) Operate any radio controlled drone from within any part of the park.

Animals

No person may:

(d) Allow a dog, other than a guide dog, or any other animal in their care to enter the safety surface zone around children’s play equipment.

(e) Allow a dog, other than a guide dog, or any other animal in their care to enter a prepared sports surface e.g. multi use games area (muga).

You can read the Park Management Rules in the document attached to this project.

Park Management Rules.pdf

(1.0 MB)

12 issues

Wendy Connaughton4 years ago I am a dog owner and have young children. I agree strongly that no dogs other than assistance dogs, on a lead, should be permitted in child play areas and designated sports areas such as tennis courts. Dog poo even when picked up leaves some residue and many children including my own would be scared if a strange dog came racing towards them. There could be a fenced off designated area in these dog free zones for the assistance dogs to do their business if necessary. I do however believe that dogs should be allowed off the lead in other areas within parks for exercise and socialising with other dogs. Owners should be strongly penalised for failing to show that they can control their pets and not picking up their dogs poo.Each park layout is different and would need to be looked individually as such.

Gerard Ryan4 years ago

unknown author4 years ago It is important when making rules to remember the majority of dog owners are responsible people and not to alienate them because of a few irresponsible dog owners. Many who now have dogs have them due to boredom in the pandemic and are not suitable people for this responsibility.There are rules for aggressive and arrogant people in law but they still use the parks and nothing is done about their behaviour so don't target dog owners.

Ashleigh 4 years ago I'm in support of these rules. My own children are nervous around dogs they don't know and have been knocked over by friendly but boisterous uncontrolled dogs. Some children also don't know how to behave around dogs, and may unwittingly startle a dog, leading to a possible bite. But how is it going to be enforced? The current state of dog fouling in the local park shows that a sign is just not enough. And how will this work in parks where the boundaries are less clear? In a park like Kings Park, the children's play area is a very clear area, with a play surface, away from where dogs would be allowed. But a park like Riverside park might be more complicated. Would dogs be banned from the field and outer edges of the park as well, or just around the play equipment? There are no 'play surfaces' in some parks, where equipment is just on the grass. Where will the boundaries be?

Nicola Gilchrist 4 years ago

Kristina Moodie4 years ago

Alan Robertson4 years ago

Peter Bryson4 years ago This seems fair to me to mitigate childrens fear of dogs and the risk of fouling on high risk areas. And I am careful to be conscious of this when I have our dog in the park. Not that I'm a Saint not is Bea (the dog in question is a very large dog). However, I am at a complete loss as to how you plan to police this. I do my best to avoid areas that children may come into contact with and still this occurs. I am for this in principal but as ever with many things the council does policing of the rules is frankly a bit of a joke. A sign is not a plan perhaps heavily subsidiseed training classes for dog owners or some bylaw that forces a class for dog owners to understand their responsibilities may be a cost effective use of public funding. It would be and could easily be sponsored online or face to face and certainly more flexible to changes of community opinion to name a fee advantages. It might not stop all the issues, nothing does, not will a sign, and lack of penalty though it will improve the whole issue around dog ownership. Hope this helps.

Aaron O' Brien4 years ago We're all aware the council would struggle to enforce this, or even define boundaries in many parks. I agree that children should be fenced in to protect our dogs from them, but why are these changes being proposed in the first place? Did a few people complain? Did someone from the council have a bad experience? Do they just want signs updated, or is this going to be enforced by wardens - who'll do... what exactly? And how much is this going to cost us now that council tax is uncapped? Do we maybe have bigger issues to address? Is the council secretly run by cats?

Frederick Trott4 years ago It strikes me that this is more nanny state. What is needed is for people to become more responsible for their activities with dogs or other activities and if the majority are unhappy with a persons behaviour we need to challenge them there and then, if they don't respond then take a photo and inform the police/council. As someone said the council are not going to be able to manage this other than put up more signs.

Peter Gittins 4 years ago

Andrew Fraser4 years ago

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