ILMINSTER NEWS: Town council to consult over dog policy

A CONSULTATION is to be carried out in Ilminster to get the views of people about allowing dogs in the open spaces areas owned or managed by the town council.

At present dogs are allowed, off the lead, in all the recreation areas including children’s play areas.

But now the council’s open spaces committee is to look at whether things should change in regards dogs.

Committee chairman, Cllr Stuart Shepherd, said: “It is a long time since the current policy of allowing dogs everywhere was discussed.

“A number of concerns have been raised with councillors about dogs in the recreation areas – some people are concerned that the places where they can take their dogs are becoming more and more limited and they are concerned to make sure that the great space in the middle of Ilminster is open to them, other people are worried about the irresponsible behavior of some people who fail to control their dogs and also those who do not clean up after their dogs.

“There will be many strong views about this topic and some will be conflicting. The town council will use a variety of consultation methods to find out the views of the people who use the open spaces and use that information to decide if the current policy needs to be changed – and if does, what changes are appropriate and practical to enforce.”

Whilst the precise methods and timescales for the consultation have to be agreed suggested methods include using the local media, using social media, putting information on noticeboards in and around the town, questionnaires, face to face surveys in the recreation areas with users of the open spaces, meetings with various groups who regularly use the open spaces for activities.

There have been numerous problems over the years of dog mess being left on the sports pitches at Ilminster Recreation Ground and Britten's Field.

But dog owners would say that those problems were caused by a very small minority.

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