Councillors to Consult on County Borough-Wide Dog Fouling Order in Merthyr Tydfil

Councillors have agreed to consult on plans to introduce an order to help tackle dog fouling across Merthyr Tydfil.
Full council on Wednesday, February 21, heard about a proposal to introduce a county borough-wide dog control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in a bid to improve measures to combat dog fouling-related nuisances in public space.
Anyone who fails to adhere to such an order may face a fine of up to £100, and under the PSPO, the council can prosecute an offender at the magistrates court, where someone found guilty could be fined up to £1,000.
PSPOs run for a period of three years but if evidence exists of a continuing problem they may be extended for longer periods.
The report to full council said there was currently no specific dog-related orders in place and, as such, dog nuisance in the county borough was to the greater extent unregulated.
The council report said it received many complaints each year about dog fouling in public places and in the two years up to October, 2023, the council had 171 incidents of dog fouling logged on its system, which were from all 11 council wards.
In the 10 months preceding October, 2023, there were 58 reported incidents of dog fouling in the county borough, however, the report said anecdotal evidence would suggest the majority of dog fouling instances went unreported.
On the basis that dog fouling is a county borough-wide problem, the proposal is the dog fouling element of the PSPO will cover all public spaces throughout Merthyr Tydfil.
Costs covering things like publication, promotion and signs in appropriate locations such as dog fouling hotspots and public parks is estimated at between £2,000 and £5,000 but a full cost position will be available when the next report is brought before council.
The council currently has Shared Prosperity Fund-funded community safety wardens who can police any orders up until the conclusion of their funding in March, 2025.
To continue enforcement after April, 2025, extra funding will be needed and potential funding may be available to secure wardens for town centre-related matters, however, the majority of dog-related nuisance happened outside the boundaries of the town centre, the report said.
If a PSPO is made then any revenue generated through fines will be kept by the council.
At the end of the consultation period, responses will be considered and a
further report put to council to consider whether or not to impose a PSPO. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​