Dog beach ban considered for town

Bournemouth has seven miles of beaches

Dogs could be banned from beaches across Bournemouth all year round under new council plans.

People are being asked for their views on three proposals, including a total ban in specific areas.

Currently, dogs are only barred from certain parts of the beach between May and September.

The proposals also include extending the seasonal beach dog ban to other areas, and a third option of making no changes at all to the current rules.

This is not about banning dogs on the whole of Bournemouth beach Councillor Beverley Dunlop

Councillor Beverley Dunlop, cabinet member for economy and tourism, said: "We are very proud of our beaches which are there for everyone to enjoy, and the majority of dog owners respect the dog bylaws when exercising their dogs at the seafront.

"However, unfortunately, there still remains a significant minority who ignore the health and safety of others by allowing their dogs to cause a nuisance, and who fail to pick up their dog faeces.

"This is not about banning dogs on the whole of Bournemouth beach but is simply looking to refine the existing dog restrictions through public consultation."

An informal public consultation over the plans began on Friday. A final proposal will be put out to formal consultation before a decision is made, the council said.

Any changes to the existing seafront dog restrictions would not come into force until after May 2009.

The council is looking to change the rules following the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, legislation which it said allowed local authorities to enforce dog restrictions more effectively.