Consultation extended on proposed Sunderland beach summer dog ban

A consultation over plans to ban dogs from Sunderland’s beaches during the day throughout the summer has been extended.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

And a third option – to retain the existing arrangements – has been added.

Sunderland City Council has been holding a consultation on its Public Spaces Protection orders, which includes proposed amendments to rules around dogs on beaches during the summer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The consultation, which was due to finish today, Monday, February 15, asked people to choose one of two alternatives – with pets either banned from all beaches between 9am and 6pm but able to roam freely at other times, or allowed on all beaches at all times, but only on a lead, from May 1 to September 30.

The consultation has been extendedThe consultation has been extended
The consultation has been extended

Dog owner Paula Smith, from Silksworth, has created an online petition against the council’s proposals which has received more than 2,000 signatures.

Now council bosses have agreed to extend the consultation for two weeks and offer people the chance to vote for a third option – retaining the status quo, with signposted dog exclusion zones in place between May 1 and September 30.

Read More
Bans on feeding birds, spitting in the street and boozing in public areas in Sun...

St Peter’s Labour candidate David Newey said he and Fulwell candidate Barry Curran had spoken to council leader Coun Graeme Miller: “We have had quite a lot of feedback – it has been very prevalent on social media,” he said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"A lot of the feedback was that people wanted to retain the current status quo, but with some increased signage.”

Coun Miller said: "The original options were drawn up in response to views put forward to us by local residents and councillors.“Beach users also told us that the current dog exclusion zones are not as clear as they might be, so the proposals were designed to address these concerns by making the restrictions clearer."We have now added a third option of keeping the regulations the same as they are currently to the two already available and extended the time available for residents to have their say by more than a week.“We are also asking about the introduction of a new offence which would require dog walkers to have the means for cleaning up their dog fouling.”Residents now have until Friday, February 26, to make their views known at www.sunderland.gov.uk/consultation. The updated consultation will go live tomorrow morning, Tuesday 16 February

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.