Sunderland City Council set to decide on dog beach measures after residents vote

Members of the public in Sunderland were asked to take part in a consultation which aimed to look at what could be improved across the city.

One part of the Public Spaces Protection consultation looked at changing the rules on allowing dogs on Sunderland’s beaches during the summer months – which led to a backlash from residents.

People were asked to decide whether they would rather have dogs be kept on a lead at all times while on the beach, be banned between 9am and 6pm or keep the current exclusion zones in place between May 1 and September 30.

The public have voted overwhelmingly to maintain the status quo, with 92% of people taking part saying they were in favour of keeping the dog exclusion zones in place – with councillors set to vote on decisions made in the consultation during next week’s cabinet meeting.

Fines for breaches are set to be upped from £75 to £100, and a series of other restrictions brought in.

These include:

*A ban on spitting or discarding chewing gum in open public spaces.

*Powers for Police and authorised officers to confiscate alcohol in a public space.

*A ban on motorcycles or quad bikes being ridden in any open public space including bridle ways and footpaths.

*The requirement for anyone in charge of a dog to be able to be able to produce a dog bag or other appropriate receptacle to clean up after.

*A ban on skateboards, scooters, bicycles, or self-propelled vehicles or to be used in a way that would cause damage to property or annoyance to other people in the area.

Council Leader, Councillor Graeme Miller, said that the orders would help make the city a clean place to live.

He said: "What came across loud and clear in our Let's Talk consultation last year was that the environment is a top priority for our residents, with calls for more enforcement action as they want to live in a clean and green city."

The Cabinet will meet virtually at 10am on Tuesday, March 23 and vote on the proposals.

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