Consultation underway as Wrexham Council looks to renew PSPO for dog owners

An order which requires owners to keep their dogs on a lead on pavements and public roads is set to be renewed by Wrexham Council.

A PSPO (Public Space Protection Order) has been in place across the county borough since early 2017, before being renewed for a further three years in September 2020.

It requires owners to keep their dogs on a lead around visitor centres and car parks at local country parks – as well as picking up their dog’s mess from all public spaces in the county borough.

The order also excludes dogs from bowling green playing surfaces, the playing areas of marked sports pitches and fenced children’s play areas, skate parks, tennis courts and multi-use games areas (apart from owners with assisted dogs).

Failure to follow the PSPO could lead to the owners receiving a fixed penalty notice (FPN).

Wrexham Council is currently running a short survey on the renewal of the PSPO and asking for the public’s comments on the proposed Dog Control and Dog Fouling PSPO.

The consultation prelude states: “Wrexham Council currently has a dog control and dog fouling Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which cover the entire County Borough.

“It is due for renewal as it ends on 30th September 2023. The intention is to renew and update the current PSPO covering the County Borough.

“The existing dog fouling requirements for owners to remove their dog’s faeces forthwith from public areas, the exclusion zones for dogs on bowling greens, marked sports pitches and play areas (apart from owners with assisted dogs), the dogs on a lead by direction which allows an Authorised Officer to instruct owners to place and keep a dog on a lead when necessary, dogs to be on a lead on public roads and pavements and to be kept on a lead around defined areas of parks such as visitor centres and car parks and for the person who is in control of a dog, to be carrying an appropriate receptacle or bag to remove their dog’s faeces forthwith will continue.

“We are therefore contacting you as part of the required consultation process, we encourage you to look at the prohibitions suggested in the enclosed order and would be interested in your views on the matter.”

The consultation will close on August 28. More information on what the PSPO includes and areas around country parks where dogs must be kept on a lead, can be found on the consultation website here.