A Rotarian who helped establish a rose garden opposite St Bartholomew's Church is calling on action to tackle the problem of dog fouling at the Wilmslow War Memorial Garden.
Geoff Shelmerdine, of Wilmslow Dean Rotary Club, has written to both Cheshire East Council and Wilmslow Town Council to alert them to the problem and request, for starters, that signs be installed to indicate that dog fouling and dropping litter is a punishable offence.
Geoff said "I have just spent what is usually a very enjoyable hour pruning our Rotary roses and weeding the beds at the Memorial Garden in Wilmslow.
"The reason it turned into a not very enjoyable experience was the amount of dog doo doo on the beautifully manicured lawns - around the rose beds there were five large dollops of the mess.
"Additionally, whilst pruning the rose bushes, three dog owners came into the gardens with their dogs and also allowed them to use the gardens as a toilet and did not clear the mess up.
"I challenged two of the owners (and I would guess most people who bring their dogs here early morning are locals) and informed them that it was an offence and they would be reported in future. One said "if you are so worried, pick it up yourself" and the other said she had forgotten to bring a collection bag and would return - she didn't!"
Geoff added "During the weekday, local workers come down to the gardens during their lunch break, others just come to admire the flowers/roses and enjoy the peace and tranquility of this beautiful garden - they also sit on the lawns."
The problem of dog fouling in Wilmslow is something which the Local Area Partnership (LAP) have been discussing.
LAP Manager Richard Christopherson, of Cheshire East Partnerships Team, explained "Dog fouling was highlighted as a new priority in which the LAP should be able to address. We are to hold a new LAP Sub Group meeting within the next couple of weeks to consider what practical methods could be adopted to tackle this and other street clean related issues.
"Cheshire East has had some success on this matter in other areas and we may start by introducing these measures initially. Other roles for the sub group will also be considered relating to keeping all areas of Wilmslow tidy and litter free."
Community Wardens at Cheshire East Council can issue on the spot fixed penalty notices of £50, which can rise to £1,000 if the offender fails to pay. However, in order to issue the fine, community wardens need to witness the dog fouling, or have strong evidence linking a dog owner to the offence, which makes the issuing of fines difficult.
Councillor Les Gilbert, Cabinet member in charge of communities and regulatory services, said: "I am disappointed to hear of a problem of dog fouling in Memorial Gardens – and have asked our wardens to increase patrols there.
"Our Borough is, on the whole, very clean and tidy and the vast majority of dog owners act responsibly.
"We have issued 47 fines for dog fouling in the 12 months up to June this year, and one of the reasons that this figure is not higher is because we are, in fact, doing an excellent job of educating the public to be responsible dog owners and to clean up after their animals.
"There is a collective responsibility on all dog owners, Cheshire East Council and the town and parish councils to keep our area clean and tidy. And without a doubt, we are doing our bit, and doing it well.
"The ultimate purpose of any enforcement is compliance, not issuing tickets to generate income. We want to prevent anti-social behaviour, not react to it after the event.
"We have lots of dog bins across the Borough that are well used. Our wardens have carried out a number of events in areas where the public report any problems and new bins are installed, where appropriate. We have also introduced the first Dog Control Order, at The Carrs, in Wilmslow.
"The majority of dog fouling on our streets is due to stray dogs and we have increased our response to this. Stray dogs have no-one to pick up after them and cannot be fined.
"Our wardens' work hard to help safeguard our local environment. This work also includes tackling issues including littering, abandoned vehicles, fly tipping prosecution and stray dogs.
"Our wardens are committed, just as this Council is, to doing an excellent job, enforcing the rules – and making Cheshire East an even better place to live, visit and do business."
I took a look online to see how other places are trying to tackle this problem. According to articles on the BBC website, field wardens have started sticking flags into dog mess left on a Berkshire field to highlight the problem and in Slough last year they spray-painting dog mess luminous green to shame owners. Whilst in Wyre, councillors will be making presentations to schools and community groups to raise awareness of the problem.
Do you think there is a problem with dog fouling in Wilmslow?If so, do you have any suggestions for tackling it? Share your views via the comment box below.
Comments
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A super effort for the community being ruined by dog mess.
I am not particularly a dog lover nor a dog hater but this fouling up of the memorial garden and any other green area makes it difficult to choose between the two options
Geoff Shelmardine was wasting his breath. There is a type of arrogant and selfish dog owner personified by the man and woman he reports (above) who are a persistent problem. They are a small minority of dog owners, but they are the ones who make life unpleasant for everyone else, dog owners and non-dog owners alike.
They don't give a stuff for anyone but themselves. They think they have a right to allow their dogs to foul and expect the rest of us to just put up with our shared environment such as these gardens being turned from enjoyable to unpleasant. What a contrast between Mr Shelamrdine who gives his own time to improving that environment, and the lazy ignoramuses he describes who selfishly despoil it.
What can we do about it? Most people carry cameras now on mobile phones, so if you see this happening take some pictures (or better yet, video) and report the offenders! Linking the offender to the offence like this should be easier than it was with the aid of such technology. And who knows, maybe just taking the pictures will shame them into clearing up the mess!
My own personal experience of doing this is that the alleged offender may become violent towards you by either being verbally abusive and or physically attacking you.
I was involved in an incident recently where I believe I was subjected to both. Fortunately for me a by stander offered to act as a witness. The matter is now being investigated by the police.