Ards and North Down Borough Council is committed to keeping the borough clean and will fine and prosecute those members of the public that litter or allow their dog to foul in the area. It will also continue to employ four additional wardens to help tackle the issue.
In the Ards and North Down area 44 fixed penalties for dog fouling offences and 50 fixed penalties for littering offences have been issued since 1 April 2015 thanks to the vigilance of Neighbourhood Environment Officers. The officers target dog fouling and litter hot spots covering key times and days, including early morning, evenings and weekends.
Mayor of Ards and North Down, Alderman Alan Graham, explained: “Dog fouling and littering detracts from the visual attractiveness of our area and is a source of complaint from residents and visitors alike. The Council shares public concerns at littering, especially dog mess left by an irresponsible minority of dog owners, and hopes to increase public confidence and reduce the problem further by putting resources into employing additional wardens”.
He added; “I would ask everyone to help keep our borough clean by disposing of litter and dog waste properly; we all have a legal responsibility to do so. Dog owners need to supervise their dog so that they know when it fouls. Used dog poop bags can be disposed of in ordinary litter bins, so there is no excuse for not cleaning up.”
Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment for Ards and North Down Borough Council, Richard Brittain, elaborated: “Detecting littering or dog fouling is particularly difficult as officers have to be in the right place at the right time to see the offence. The continued employment of four additional wardens allows the Council to dedicate more time to tackling the littering issue, taking enforcement action against those who continue to behave irresponsibly.”
The Council’s Neighbourhood Environment Team is responsible for enforcing dog fouling and littering legislation. The team is also responsible for issuing dog licences, enforcing Dog Control Orders, animal welfare (of non-farmed animals), monitoring and prosecuting those responsible for illegal dumping , littering, abandoned vehicles and damage to council property such as that caused by graffiti and the enforcement of Bye-laws (legislation that applies to local government). It carries out a range of proactive initiatives to tackle these issues outside of taking enforcement action. For example, delivering dog training classes and providing environmental education talks in schools.
The penalty for littering or allowing your dog to foul in a public place is £80 with a maximum fine in the courts of £1,000.
