09-07-2025
Dog owners face £100 fines for walking their pets in four parks
Dog owners face £100 fines for walking their pets in four parks
Four parks have been added to the list of places where dog walkers are banned in a Welsh county
The council said locals have reacted positively to the scheme
(Image: PA )
A council has moved to add more parks to its banned list for dogwalkers. Torfaen County Borough Council has banned dogs from some of its parks since 2018 and the local authority regularly reviews the list to see if some could be added to it.
The council's Labour cabinet was recommended to add four newly developed children's play areas to the order this week which it has now agreed to.
The four parks where dogwalkers are now banned are the Southville Park children's play area in Llantarnam, Thornhill multi-games area in Upper Cwmbran, Blenheim Road children's play area in Fairwater, and the Cwmavon village children's play area in Abersychan.
Anyone ignoring the orders could be hit with a £100 on the spot fine which can be issued by Torfaen council's civil enforcement officers, and a failure to pay could lead to a prosecution which could result in a fine of up to £1,000 if convicted. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
The public spaces protection orders, or PSPOs, must be reviewed every three years.
Torfaen Borough Council's environmental protection manager, John Clements, assured the cabinet that enforcing the new orders is not expected to create extra work.
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He said: "The expectation is it will be self-regulating. Most people are aware it is not appropriate to allow dogs to foul in children's play areas."
Council leader Anthony Hunt shared that the public has reacted positively to news articles about the proposal to expand the existing orders.
Council leader Anthony Hunt said many have been positive about the council's decisions on the matter
(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service )
The Panteg councillor said: "I've seen the coverage in advance and it's been largely positive and welcomed.
"We thank responsible dog owners who pick up responsibly and the majority do recognise the dangers dog poo can cause to young people especially and it's not just play areas but sports grounds."
He said locals have backed the council's efforts to combat dog fouling, highlighting "yellow stencils" on pavements "across the borough pointing out where we have a problem".
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Cllr Hunt also explained the council has secured a portion of a £5 million Welsh Government fund designated for playground refurbishments, stating: "We'll use that to try and update as many as possible."
The cabinet has additionally approved bringing forward another report to examine additional enforcement options.
