New Haringey Dog Control orders - keep dogs on a lead or pay £80 fine

Dogs in Haringey must be kept on a lead on all public streets after April 1 when Dog Control Orders come into force after feedback from residents.

The subject of responsible dog ownership has been discussed on this forum before - and we also covered the launch of  Haringey council's consultation on Dogs in parks - the new regulations have now been published.

The Dog Control Orders, introduced by the council,  stipulate that dogs will be banned from all children's playgrounds and from marked pitches when being used, but dogs can still walk off lead in most of the boroughs parks. Any breach of an order can lead to an £80 penalty or a £1,000 fine.

Cabinet Member for the Environment, Cllr Nilgun Canver, said: "This move follows extensive consultation with residents prompted by complaints about unruly dogs and dog mess in parks and other public spaces. "We wanted to find a sensible balance that would exclude dogs from where they clearly should not be, but which allows responsible dog walkers to exercise and enjoy their pet freely. I think we have struck the right balance and hope this means that parents with children can enjoy playgrounds while dog walkers enjoy our open spaces."

These are not "on-the-spot" fines. An authorised officer will issue a notice with details of where and how the penalty can be paid, much the same as a parking ticket. The Dog Control Orders relating to each park will be clearly signposted at the park entrances.

The orders say:

  • it's an offence to not clean up after a dog anywhere in the borough
  • unruly dogs in any area must be put on leads when told to do this by an authorised officer
  • dogs must be on leads on roads, in communal public areas on housing estates, publicly accessible land, cemeteries, car parks and some smaller parks (less than half a hectare—about the size of a football pitch)
  • one person is limited to walking six dogs at a time
  • dogs are excluded from all children's playgrounds and areas with marked pitches when they are in use (ie a football/cricket match is taking place)

Enforcement will be by police, council officers and some Homes for Haringey officers who will be authorised to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) for any breaches. Once an Order is in place, the penalty for committing an offence is a maximum fine of £1,000 or a Fixed Penalty Notice of £80. Failing to pay the fine may lead to prosecution. 

Details are on the Haringey website at www.haringey.gov.uk/dogcontrol.

Picture above from LB Haringey shows Cllr Nilgun Canver at the children's playground in Ducketts Common with the sign which will be erected outside all the borough's playgrounds.

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Shame Enfield don't adopt this too. Fed up with people letting their Mutts run wild down 'Poo Alley' (near Bowes Park Stn). There's a chap who has two Chavfordshire Terriers that he allows to run without leads, crapping all over the place.

Is that the guy that goes jogging with them?  He's always ahead of them so doesn't seem to notice when they stop to poo! Or perhaps that is why he runs on ahead!

I am finding this quite confusing.

  • There has been a sign, for as long as I can remember, saying that dogs are allowed in Finsbury Gardens but only if on a lead.
  • I have heard that dogs are no longer allowed in there, on or off a lead.
  • I looked at the literature about this on the Haringey Council Website and it states that dogs are not allowed in the children's play area (naturally) but that they are allowed in the green areas on this map *off* or on lead, as long as the owners' clean up any mess their dog makes. This map is taken from their website, I've added the arrows and wording, that's all. However, elsewhere on the page it states that dogs must be kept on a lead in Finsbury Gardens.

  • So let's assume dog owners are legally allowed to walk their dogs, on a lead, in Finsbury Gardens. The issue is that some residents do not want this to be the case, so that children can play more freely in the space.
  • So the problem is not one of legality, i.e. dogs on leads are allowed, but clash of perceived 'entitlements'. Have I got this right? Cheers.

Dogs are still allowed in Finsbury Gardens on a lead.  Some residents want to ban them completely but they are not banned - you can still walk through with your dog on a lead.  I think the issue for residents was more about dog poo as dogs being walked through on a lead is hardly a problem surely.

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