AN ORDER to help tackle dog fouling across Merthyr Tydfil is being considered by the council.
Full council on Wednesday, February 21 will consider approving a consultation on a proposal to introduce a county borough-wide dog control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in a bid to improve measures to combat dog fouling related nuisance in public spaces across the county borough.
Anyone who fails to adhere to such an order may face a fine of up to £100 and under the PSPO, the council can prosecute an offender at the magistrates court, where a person found guilty could be fined up to £1,000.
PSPOs run for a period of three years but if evidence exists of a continuing problem they may be extended for longer periods.
The report to full council says there is currently no specific dog-related orders in place and as such, dog nuisance in the county borough is to the greater extent unregulated.
The council report said it receives many complaints each year about dog fouling in public places and in the two years up to October 2023, the council had 171 incidents of dog fouling logged on its system, which were from all 11 council wards.
In the 10 months preceding October 2023, there were 58 reported incidents of dog fouling in the county borough however, the report said anecdotal evidence would suggest the majority of dog fouling instances go unreported.
On the basis that dog fouling is a county borough-wide problem, the proposal is the dog fouling element of the PSPO will cover all public spaces throughout Merthyr Tydfil.
Costs covering things like publication, promotion and signs in appropriate locations such as dog fouling hotspots and public parks is estimated at between £2,000 and £5,000 but a full cost position will be available when the next report is brought before council.
The council currently has Shared Prosperity Fund funded community safety wardens who can police any orders up until the conclusion of their funding in March 2025.
To continue enforcement after April 2025 extra funding will be needed and potential funding may be available to secure wardens for town centre related matters however the majority of dog related nuisance occurs outside the boundaries of the town centre, the report said.
If a PSPO is made then any revenue generated through fines will be kept by the council.
At the end of the consultation period, responses will be considered and a further report put to council to consider whether or not to impose a PSPO.
