Where should dogs be allowed to go in the borough’s parks?

A RENEWED crackdown on badly behaved dogs has triggered a backlash from owners who say it’s the Town Hall that’s “out of order”.

Camden Council is consulting on extending its use of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) that give officials powers to hand out on the spot fines for breaches of regulations.

The proposed PSPOs will ban dogs – leashed or not – from Camden Square Gardens, Chalcot Square Gardens, Primrose Hill Gardens, the Fortune Green picnic area, all of the borough’s outdoor gyms and water features. Dogs will have to be kept on a lead at all times in Hampstead Cemetery.

Dog lover Natasha Wallace, who lives in West Hampstead, said: “The overwhelming majority of dogs and owners in Camden are well behaved and responsible, and there are far fewer dog-related incidents in parks than there are human-related incidents and anti-social behaviour.”

She warned against forcing “restrictions on a genuinely decent community who very often serve as a barrier to anti-social behaviour in our green spaces by our presence at all times of day, all year round”.

She added: “Why should the council dictate where dogs can and can’t go? There are many children’s playgrounds, sports courts and picnic areas where dogs are already forbidden, but to propose extending restrictions is out of order in my view.”

Ms Wallace said the council should concentrate on “the real challenges affecting residents” like the “ongoing cost of living crisis and child poverty”, housing and homelessness, litter and poor state of pavements.

The PSPOs also allow the council to give out on-the-spot £100 (£60 if paid in 14 days) fines to anyone failing to clear up dog poo anywhere in the borough.

Last week, the council deleted a post on X about dog ban consultation, on February 11, following a massive social media backlash. More than 800,000 accounts had engaged with the post, compared to the council’s standard fare of a few hundred.

Over the course of the week, some residents have been responding to council posts about other matters with photos of their dogs, asking “why do you hate dogs?”

PSPOs are the most recent incarnation of the discredited Anti Social Behaviour Order, a civil order that gave authorities new powers to punish people “persistent and disruptive behaviour”.

Asbos were scrapped after criticism that the subjective nature of what could be regarded as a breach. They were later replaced by PSPOs, which are essentially the same thing – giving powers to issue fines for bad behaviour. The council is also proposing a borough-wide PSPO targeting “irresponsible” street drinking.

Anyone flouting the rules would have to “surrender alcohol” to an officer.

The council said: “The extension of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) will enable officers to continue to take action against irresponsible dog owners  and those who do not clear up after their dogs helping to ensure that green spaces, streets, housing estates and other public spaces are clean, attractive and safe, and that residents, visitors and businesses are actively involved in contributing to a safe and clean Camden.”

A three year PSPO has been in place since March 2023 but is due to expire next month.