Caerphilly: Dogs banned from sports pitches to tackle mess

Dogs will be banned from marked sports pitches in Caerphilly county in an attempt to keep them free of dog poo.

The council's cabinet backed the proposal after 53% of 1,540 people voted in favour of banning the animals.

But RSCPA Cymru said the decision was unfair to the "vast majority" of those in the area that do abide by the law.

Council leader Philippa Marsden said the permanent ban was to "protect public health and wellbeing".

The ban will be added to the council's existing Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Under that, dogs are already excluded from all enclosed children's play areas, required to be kept on leads in enclosed memorial gardens and owners are required to pick up their animal's poo.

The ban will be in place all year and not specific to sports seasons to ensure the public can use spaces safely, said Councillor Nigel George, cabinet member for waste, public protection and street scene.

But RSPCA Cymru expressed disappointment at the decision, saying the ban made it harder for dog owners to meet their pets' needs.

"Everyone should want to see dog fouling tackled - and responsible owners should be picking up their pet's mess," said Billie-Jade Thomas, from the charity.

But she did not think it was fair for "the vast majority of law-abiding dog owners in Caerphilly who may value some of these walking spots".

"We don't think blanket bans like this are the way to deal with people already breaking the law," she said.

New signage to enforce the rule in designated areas will cost £2,000 and will be funded from the council's existing environmental health budgets.