Agenda item

Report of the Superintendent of Burnham Beeches, Stoke Common and City Commons.

The Director of Open Spaces introduced a report on the introduction of Dog Control Orders in Burnham Beeches, noting that the report had been intended for consideration at the Epping Forest and Commons Committee in early January 2014 but had been withdrawn following receipt of a detailed late representation from the Kennel Club. The report in its current format had been submitted to the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee on 20 January 2014 for information.

She noted that the report would be amended following the consideration of the Kennel Club representation by a small subgroup of officers and members of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee. It would then be submitted to the Epping Forest and Commons Committee for consideration in its revised form in March 2014. It would then come to the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee at some point in the future, likely after a final consultation had been carried out at Burnham Beeches.

She further noted that if and when Dog Control Orders were implemented on the Heath, they would be tailored to suit its unique character. Furthermore she stated that officers had been concerned that the secondary authority status that allowed the adoption by the City Corporation of Dog Control Orders in its open spaces outside the City potentially would have lapsed; however, equivalent powers had been included in the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill that was currently going through the House of Lords following work by the Remembrancer’s Office. She concluded by noting that the Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee had been told that the likely timescale of introducing Dog Control Orders on Hampstead Heath was 18 months to two years. In the meantime the City of London could deal with dog-related anti-social behaviour using Heath byelaws, and that Dog Control Orders were currently in force on land owned by the London Borough of Camden, covering the picking-up of dog mess.

A member of the Committee thanked the Director for her update but voiced his concern over the effectiveness Dog Control Orders would have in helping ensure persons walking a large number of dogs remained in control of the animals they were responsible for.

RESOLVED –

·         That Members note the work being undertaken at Burnham Beeches to pilot, on behalf of the Open Spaces Department, the introduction of Dog Control Orders.