East Cambridgeshire District Council currently has a Dog Fouling Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which makes it an offence to not clear up after a dog defecates. Failure to comply with a PSPO is an offence which can be dealt with by a fixed penalty notice of £80 or by prosecution. Since the PSPO was created in 2018, East Cambridgeshire District Council has issued 6 fines to owners for not clearing up after their dogs.
The current 3-year PSPO was adopted in 2022, and the council is now considering whether to renew for a further three years until 2028. The council also proposes to increase the penalty charge from £80 to £100, which is the maximum that can be applied. This increase will being the offence of failing to clear up after a dog closer in line with the fixed penalty charges for littering and other environmental crime offences, which can be found in East Cambridgeshire's Environmental Crime Enforcement Policy 2023.
Current PSPO
East Cambridgeshire District Council Public Space Protection Order dog fouling 2022
The council is interested in your views about whether the PSPO should be extended and whether the fine should be increased. If you have any observations, comments or questions about the proposals, please let us know by responding to our survey.
Public Spaces Protection Order Dog Fouling survey
Paper copies can be requested or found at The Council Offices, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, CB7 4EE.
The consultation runs until Friday 1 November 2024.
The PSPO applies to all public places with the East Cambridgeshire District, and includes areas previously not covered by the Dog Fouling of Land Act, including common land and roadside verges.
Signage has been created and installed in popular dog walking areas and problem hotspots around the district, to remind dog owners of their responsibility, especially in open green spaces, recreation grounds and sport pitches, parks and common land.
Information on how to report an owner for failing to clear up after their dog can be found on our dog fouling waste pages
For further information, please contact Environmental Services on 01353 665555 or email envirocrime@eastcambs.gov.uk
For more information on the Council's fight against Environmental Crime, please see our Environmental Crime Enforcement Policy (PDF)