Uckfield dog laws closer

By-laws aimed at controlling dogs on Uckfield Town Council land came a step closer last night.

Councillors accepted a series of proposals (detailed below) which will:

Exclude dogs from some areas (generally children’s play areas);
Detail land affected by a fouling of dogs order;
Specify areas where generally dogs should be on leads; and
Land affected by a “dogs on lead by direction” order.

The proposals will now go out to formal consultation.

A number of members of the public spoke at last night’s meeting of the council’s environment and leisure committee.

Two speakers praised the council for the big steps forward they had taken since the proposals came before the last meeting of the committee.

The council was urged to go further and consider a number of other issues, including making provision for dogs outside children’s play areas so parents could still take the dog for a walk while taking children to play. Bag dispensers would also be another positive step.

One speaker called for greater education and asked the council to put more effort into communication with the town’s dog owners.

Another speaker raised concerns about children being approached if enforcement action was needed.

Councillors were told by the meeting clerk that the consultation process would allow townspeople to put ideas and suggestions forward. One idea the council will consider is publishing a leaflet.

The meeting was also told that police community support officers would be able to issue fixed penalty tickets to offenders, if the council wanted.

The proposals going out to consultation are:

Areas listed for a dog exclusion order - where dogs would not generally be allowed - include:

Victoria Pleasure Ground Children’s Play Area and Tennis Courts (as shown on Map OS25 & OS47 hatched in red)
Ridgewood Recreation Ground Children’s Play Area (as shown on Map OS15 hatched in red)
Hempstead Lane Children’s Play Area (as shown on Map OS46 hatched in red)
Luxford Field Children’s Play Area (as shown on Map OS44 hatched in red)
Hughes Way Children’s Play Area (as shown on Map OS5 hatched in red)
Rocks Park Children’s Play Area (as shown on Map OS17 hatched in red)
Oakwood Drive Children’s Play Area (as shown on Map OS12 hatched in red)
Snatts Road Cemetery (as shown on Map OS34 & OS35 hatched in red)

Areas affected by the fouling of land by dogs order – which would affect people who fail to remove faeces left by dogs under their control – are shown as:

Land to the North of Hart Close (as shown on Map OS1 hatched in red)
Hempstead Fields (as shown on Map OS2 hatched in red) • Hempstead Lane Recreation Ground (as shown on Map OS3 hatched in red)
Boothland Wood (as shown on Map OS4 hatched in red)
Land at Hunters Way (as shown on Map OS6 hatched in red)
Linnet Green (as shown on Map OS7 hatched in red)
Luxford Field (as shown on Map OS8 hatched in red)
Land and woods off Mallard Drive (as shown on Map OS9 hatched in red)
New Barn Farm (as shown on Map OS10 hatched in red)
Oaklea Way (as shown on Map OS11 hatched in red)
Ridgewood Allotments (as shown on Map OS13 & OS48 hatched in red)
Ridgewood Recreation Ground (as shown on Map OS14 hatched in red)
Ridgewood Village Hall car park (as shown on Map OS16 hatched in red)
Rocks Park Bank (as shown on Map OS18 hatched in red)
Rocks Park Flats (as shown on Map OS19 hatched in red)
Hempstead Meadows Local Nature Reserve (as shown on Map OS20 & OS58 hatched in red)
Land at Selby Road (as shown on Map OS21 hatched in red)
Shepherds Gate (as shown on Map OS22 hatched in red)
Swallow Court (as shown on Map OS23 hatched in red)
Garden at 2a Vernon Road (as shown on Map OS24 hatched in red)
Victoria Pleasure Ground and Tennis Courts(as shown on Map OS25 & OS26 hatched in red)
West Park Allotments (as shown on Map OS27 hatched in red)
West Park Recreation Ground (as shown on Map OS28 hatched in red)
West Park Local Nature Reserve (as shown on Map OS29 hatched in red)
Bell Lane Allotments (as shown on Map OS30 hatched in red)
Bellbrook Open Space (as shown on Map OS31 hatched in red)
Bird in Eye Allotments (as shown on Map OS32 hatched in red)
Browns Lane Rockery (as shown on Map OS33 hatched in red)
Downland Copse (as shown on Map OS36 hatched in red)
Elizabeth Gardens (as shown on Map OS37 hatched in red)
Framfield Road Allotments (as shown on Map OS39 & OS40 hatched in red)
Nightingale Wood (as shown on Map OS41,OS59,OS60 & OS61 hatched in red)
Harlands Farm Playing Fields (as shown on Map OS42 hatched in red)
Bridge Farm Wood (as shown on Map OS43 hatched in red)
Land and Woodland off Mallard Drive (adjacent Woodpecker Way) (as shown on Map OS52 hatched in red)
Land at Harlands Farm Pond, field and adjacent woodland (as shown on Map OS53 & OS54 hatched in red)

Areas affected by the dogs on leads order – where dogs would generally have to be kept on a lead – are suggested as:

Land to the North of Hart Close (as shown on Map OS1 hatched in red)
Linnet Green (as shown on Map OS7 hatched in red)
Luxford Field (as shown on Map OS8 hatched in red)
Land and Woodland off Mallard Drive (adjacent Woodpecker Way) (as shown on Map OS52 hatched in red)
Oakwood Drive (as shown on Map 12 hatched in red)
Ridgewood Allotments (as shown on Map 13 & 48 hatched in red)
Rocks Park Bank (as shown on Map OS18 hatched in red)
Rocks Park Flats (as shown on Map OS19 hatched in red)
Land at Selby Road (as shown on Map OS21 hatched in red)
Shepherds Gate (as shown on Map OS22 hatched in red)
Swallow Court (as shown on Map OS23 hatched in red)
Victoria Pleasure Ground (as shown on Map 26 hatched in red)
West Park Allotments (as shown on Map OS27 hatched in red)
West Park Recreation Ground (as shown on Map OS28 hatched in red)
Bell Lane Allotments (as shown on Map OS30 hatched in red)
Bird in Eye Allotments (as shown on Map OS32 hatched in red)
Browns Lane Rockery (as shown on Map OS33 hatched in red)
Downland Copse (as shown on Map OS36 hatched in red)
Elizabeth Gardens (as shown on Map OS37 hatched in red)
Framfield Road Allotments (as shown on Map OS39 & OS40 hatched in red)
Harlands Farm Playing Fields (as shown on Map OS42 hatched in red)

And areas where the dogs on leads by direction order - where people would have to put their dog on a lead if asked to by an authorised officer of the authority - could apply include:

Hempstead Lane Recreation Ground (as shown on Map OS3 hatched in red)
New Barn Farm (as shown on Map OIS10 hatched in red)
Boothland Wood (as shown on Map OS4 hatched in red)
Land at Harlands Farm Pond, field and adjacent woodland (as shown on Map OS53 & OS54 hatched in red)
Bellbrook Open Space (as shown on Map OS31 hatched in red)
Bridge Farm Wood (as shown on Map OS43 hatched in red)
Land at Hunters Way (as shown on Map OS6 hatched in red)
West Park Local Nature Reserve (as shown on Map OS29 hatched in red)
Hempstead Meadows Local Nature Reserve (as shown on Map OS28 & OS58 hatched in red)
Nightingale Wood (as shown on Map OS59,OS60 &OS61 hatched in red) • Hempstead Fields (as shown on Map OS2 hatched in red)