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Would you like rules around dog walking to be more stringent? Or are they strict enough? This is what one council is asking its residents.

In 2017, Ribble Valley Borough Council introduced a public spaces protection order, or PSPO, to tackle dog poop in public in an attempt to make the borough cleaner, safer and healthier.

However this order is set to expire in October 2023, therefore the council want to know whether it should be extended for another three years.

Ribble Valley Borough Council has launched a consultation into whether controls on dogs in public spaces should be continued.

To find out what the public, including dog walkers think, an online survey regarding the restrictions has been sent out.

The current restrictions make it an offence to:

● Fail to pick up your dog poop in a public place

● Not be in possession of pet poop bags

● Let your dog off its lead in Clitheroe Cemetery

● Allow your dog to enter a playground or sports pitch

● Refuse to put your dog on a lead if asked by a dog warden

● Be in charge of more than four dogs at once

Anyone breaching the order faces a £100 fixed penalty notice or day in court and fine of up to £1,000.

Stuart Hirst, chairman of the Ribble Valley Borough Council’s health and housing committee, said: “Public open spaces play an important role in the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors.

“We want everyone to enjoy themselves in public spaces and this means restricting where dogs can go and when they should be kept on leads.

“The council adopted an order in 2017, after receiving hundreds of complaints about dog fouling each year and spending thousands of pounds disposing of it.

“Without the order, we would not be able to keep the borough clean, safe and healthy, tackle dog fouling and nuisance dog behaviour, or enforce the restrictions, so we want to hear from residents, including dog owners, on whether they want it to continue.”

The consultation is available at ribblevalley.gov.uk, in person at the Council Offices in Church Walk, Clitheroe, or by phoning Ribble Valley Borough Council on 01200 425111.

The consultation runs until midnight on Monday, July 31, and anyone aged 16 or over can take part.

Ribble Valley Borough Council consults on contuining controls on dogs in public