Owners mess up, so dogs will be banned in Helston gardens
DOGS are to be banned from a popular amenity area in Helston.
The town council's amenities committee is to seek a dog control order for the sunken garden off Coinagehall Street.
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Even well-behaved dogs like Kayna will be given the red card by Sue Swift, chairman of Helston Town Council amenities committee who have banned dogs from the town's sunken garden.
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Dog ban at the Sunken Garden in Helston. 01/10/2012. Sue Swift of the Amenities Committee who are banning dogs from the Sunken Garden including well behaved ones like Kayna. Picture by Keith Richards. TRKR20121001A-003_C
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Dog ban at the Sunken Garden in Helston. 01/10/2012. Sue Swift of the Amenities Committee who are banning dogs from the Sunken Garden including well behaved ones like Kayna. Picture by Keith Richards. TRKR20121001A-002_C
This means anyone with a dog in the garden, or on the grassed area opposite it, could be handed an £80 fine.
The move comes after a number of complaints about dogs' mess on the grass.
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Councillor Sue Swift, amenities committee chairman, said the criticism came from office workers using the picnic and other benches for their lunch and wedding parties posing for photographs after marriage ceremonies at the nearby register office.
The final straw appeared to be when the council's own grass-cutting contractor could not do his work in the area because of dogs' mess.
Responsibly
Mrs Swift said the council had put up warnings and other signs asking people to behave responsibly with their pets. She added: "We have tried but it has just made no difference at all. We decided this was the only way we could go.
"It is a popular part of Helston but this is again another case of irresponsible people spoiling it for people who do look after their animals.
"It is something that has to be done."
Town clerk Chris Dawson expected it would take about two months before any order could come into force.
It had to be advertised for 28 days and then the public would be given two weeks "to get used to it".
He said town warden Craig Bowcutt would be able to issue fixed penalty fines to anyone with a dog in the sunken garden, or the grass opposite it, although the order would not cover the public footpath which crosses between the two areas.
The fine would be £80 but could be reduced to £50 if paid early.
Mr Dawson added that the action had been taken in consultation with Cornwall Council.
Among those who have encountered problems at the sunken garden were Cornish wrestlers who held their annual harvest fair tournament last month, and also in occasional training sessions.
Brian Deacon, chairman of the Sithney Cornish Wrestling Club, said: "There is quite a bit of dogs' mess down there. It isn't very pleasant."
Mr Deacon, a self-proclaimed responsible dog-owner, said he felt it would be good if the town council banned dogs from the area.
Comments
by Longdogger
Thursday, October 04 2012, 8:47PM
“Go THWOGGLE! I hate having to scan every inch of ground that my young child is running on for dogs mess, or having to protect him from dogs running loose on the beach at Porthkidney. Having had a member of my family attacked by dogs recently I think it is time that licensing of dogs is universal and fully enforced and there should be absolutely zero chance of dogs attacking anyone... Responsible dog owner courses, muzzles, the whole hog.”
by josdave
Thursday, October 04 2012, 8:19PM
“There is a maximum fine of £1,000 availkable to the courts for this offence so if a few of the courts handed out really hefty fines, and made sure they were paid, while naming and shaming the offenders it would make a few more dog owners act responsibly like the majority do.”
by THWOGGLE
Thursday, October 04 2012, 10:19AM
“Finally, some positive action against owners of these yapping, child-eating, loose-bowelled **** machines. What about banning them from the boating lake, Penrose amenity and sports fields next? Dog owners go on and on and on about the irresponsible minority. Tosh. The universal problem with canine cloacal slime is unacceptable. Blanket bans are now the only way to deal with this problem. Get real, doggy people, we are fed up with you. While we are at it - how about enforcing some of the "dogs must be kept on a lead" rules?”
by bombheads12
Thursday, October 04 2012, 9:53AM
“I could have swore that Helston had a dog warden? Obviously he/she is not doing the job or is it due to recent Job cuts within the council that decreed his job was no longer needed ? if the case is the latter then its about time the job was re-instated!
Also there is supposed to be a "Townsperson" paid for by Tesco and Sainsbury where is this lucky person?”