Beach dog ban in Scarborough, Filey and Whitby is set to be extended

The borough’s current Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) that places controls on where the pets can be exercised expires on January 7.

Today, the council’s cabinet gave its backing to extending the PSPO for another three years.

The PSPO includes a number of restrictions on where dogs can be walked and kept on leads and this includes sections of the borough’s beaches under what is known locally as the “dog ban”.

The dog ban covers the main sections of beach at Scarborough South Bay and North Bay, Whitby West Cliff and Tate Hill, Filey and Sandsend.

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The ban runs from May until the end of September each year, although it was paused this year due to the pandemic.

The current PSPO, which came into force in 2017, expires in January 2021 and must be renewed.

A consultation exercise on the council’s restrictions ran during July and August where a total of 824 responses were received from the public.

The fixed penalty notice levels were largely supported at £100 for a dog fouling offence and £75 for a breach of an exclusion order or a dog being off a lead when required.

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Support for the ban on beaches across Scarborough, Whitby and Filey ranged from 37% to 43% from respondents with the rest of the people either saying the ban lasted too long, not long enough or that they thought the area it covered was wrong.

There was more support for areas with year-round dogs on lead restrictions in place.

Proposing the extension of the restrictions today, Cllr Tony Randerson, the cabinet member for Neighbourhoods, said: “It is imperative the borough’s dog controls are fair and proportionate.”

The restrictions still require the approval of the full council when it meets again next year.