Newbiggin beach dog ban to be reviewed
A blanket ban on dogs being exercised on a Northumberland beach is to be reviewed - under moves which could see further dog controls introduced along the county's coastline.
The controversial year-round ban on dogs using Newbiggin-by-the-Sea's beach came into force in March 2008, despite a 1,000-name protest petition and objections from then Wansbeck MP Denis Murphy and the Kennel Club.
It was branded "draconian" by protesters, who claimed dogs and their owners should be allowed on to a section of the beach or at least during the winter.
Now the scope and need for the ban is to be reviewed by county council officials as part of a major consultation exercise on potential new dog control orders in Northumberland.
Newbiggin is currently the only beach where dogs are banned, but the council says it will "explore the possibility" of a new order barring dogs from sections of some other beaches between May and October each year.
Yesterday Newbiggin dog owner Colin Hawkshaw, one of the organisers of the original protest petition, said: "This is brilliant news and it seems that the county council are willing to talk to people and discuss a compromise. If the order here was changed to cover May to October at least we would get the beach some of the time, which would be an improvement on what we have now.
"We are chuffed to bits about what is happening, because having a look at this blanket ban is common sense. It is still a very contentious subject down here. We believe the existing ban is unenforceable, because the council would have to have someone sleeping down here."
County environmental health and protection manager Les Tweddle said: "This is a consultation exercise on new dog control orders and one of the things we will revisit is the current order at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, to see whether it stays and if it is what the public actually wants.
"We will wait and see what people say, but one of the options would obviously to change the existing order. We want to hear people's opinions on exclusion zones on other beaches too."
Dog owners who allow their pets on to the sands at Newbiggin face a ã75 fine for breaching a ban imposed by the former Wansbeck District Council. The council argued a blanket ban was the only effective way of ensuring that the beach remains clean and safe for families.
The consultation exercise, which runs until June 30, asks residents and visitors for their views on new dog control orders which would replace a range of complex and out of date legislation.
They would involve ã75 fixed penalties - or court fines of up to ã1,000 - for dog owners flouting orders covering failure to clean up after their pets, not keeping dogs on leads and dog exclusion areas in children's play areas and school fields.
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we all need to exercise our dogs and it is hard lines on the ones who do pick up after their animals to be punished
If dogs are going to be banned then so should horse riders, they should also carry POO BAGS, as horses coure more erosion than humans or dogs. Could I also suggest that you put more POO bins on the beaches for dog walkers who are responsible for their dogs so that they could deposit dog waste as well as human rubbish, because the dog owners of this world DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW BAR_B -QUE RUBBISH POLUTTES BEACHES ALSO, so the council should then ban all visitors and watersports users as this courses land erosion. So if you BAN ONE YOU MUST BAN ALL.
The beach is for all including dogs. They should be allowed, especially during winter months. The louts that litter the beaches with rubbish, bottles, hot coals, and the like should be banned. What about the horses??? lots more poop there. Why penalize dog owners. Punish all who "litter" not responsible folk.
As a responsble dog owner and a person who visits the area three times a year a ban would ruin my holidays ,I love walking my two small dogs who are kept on leads and we pick up everything.Prosecute the owners who do not care about spoiling the pleasure the beaches give to so many people .