new rules on dogs

You are here - home : news : city news nov 08 : new rules on dogs

New rules on dogs agreed

City-wide by-laws go live in the new year following consultation with residents

New rules on keeping dogs under control and making our city safer and cleaner come into force on 1 January.

Up until now we’ve had separate bylaws for Brighton and for Hove – a hangover from when they were two separate councils.

The streamlining of our bylaws follows extensive consultation by the council with residents. Cleaning up after dogs, keeping them on leads and banning them from some areas of the city were among a series of measures on which we asked people’s views.

The new rules will be simpler and easier to follow. They focus on preventing road traffic accidents, dogs out of control, and reducing the risk of the toxocara disease being transmitted to children.

Fixed penalty notices for offences have been set at £80 and will be enforced by the council’s animal welfare service.

Under the new rules dog owners must remove their dog’s poo from all public land.

This includes all streets, pavements, the bases of trees, promenades, the Undercliff Walk, parks, open plan gardens and car parks.

It applies to all land belonging to the city council, town and parish councils, and rights of way that cross such land.

Dogs will now be excluded from:

• All enclosed children’s playgrounds
• The following school playing fields: Varndean and Varndean College, Dorothy Stringer, Balfour Infant and Junior, Cardinal Newman, Blatchington Mill, Patcham High, St Bernadette’s primary’, BHASVIC and Longhill
• council run cemeteries - people attending a funeral or remembrance service, or visiting a grave of a loved one are exempt from this, but they must keep dogs on leads.

Dogs are also excluded from the following squares and public gardens:

Brunswick Square, Norfolk Square, Russell Square, Bedford Square, Clarence Square, Powis Square, Pelham Square, Regency Square (North End), New Steine Square, Steine Memorial Gardens,  Kipling Gardens in Rottingdean, the Rockery Gardens, William Sutton Park, Saunders Park excluding the fenced dog area to the south west corner of the park.

This also applies to beaches between the months of May to September inclusive – including the foreshore but not the lower promenade.

The following dog friendly beaches are excluded from this rule:

• between Longridge Avenue and the border with East Sussex
• between Chailey Avenue and Arundel Drive West, Rottingdean
• between West Marina Wall to Rottingdean slope
• between the west wall of Brighton Marina and up to the Volks railways station opposite New Steine
• in front and to the east of the Meeting Place Cafe, up to the large groyne with the life-ring
• to the east of the Lawns Cafe, at the bottom of St John's Road on Hove promenade
• in front of the King Alfred car park
• to the east of Hove Lagoon.

Dogs will have to be kept on leads on all streets, roads and pavements, on the upper and lower seafront promenade.

And if an authorised officer demands it, you will also have to put your dogs on leads in parks and other open land in the city if your dog is seen to be out of control, or causing a threat to people or other animals.

Exemptions to this include woodland, agricultural land, privately owned gardens and Forestry Commission land.

Assistance dogs such as guide dogs for the blind are exempt from the new rules.

Further information and a map of the areas of the city where the dog control orders apply can be found at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/animalwelfare.