Welsh council issued no dog fouling fines last year despite patrols

Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter

A Welsh council issued no dog fouling fines over the course of the last financial year, new figures have revealed.

It comes despite enforcement officers in Flintshire carrying out patrols for a total of 86 days between April 1, 2023 and March 31 this year.

People who fail to pick up their dog’s poo in the county can be issued with fines of £75 or charged up to £1,000 if found guilty of an offence in a magistrate’s court.

Flintshire Council said its main aim was to interact with and educate residents to prevent environmental crimes from taking place.

However, it said enforcement action is taken if people ignore advice given by officers.

Officials said they were also working on initiatives to reduce dog fouling at tourist hotspots.

Tourism

In a report, Katie Wilby, Flintshire’s chief officer for streetscene and transportation, said: “Currently, the team is working on a project with ENI (energy company) at Talacre in education and enforcement of dog fouling with the objective of enhancing our tourist destinations.

“During this type of event, typical activities include informing residents about our latest initiatives aimed at improving our environment and enhancing the quality of life across Flintshire.

“During the engagement session residents can also sign up for our green dog walkers campaign and receive complimentary dog waste bags, ensuring our public spaces remain clean for everyone to enjoy.”

Fly tipping

Discussing the effectiveness of the council’s enforcement team, she added: “While the team have worked diligently to deliver the comprehensive requirements of the role, there are several barriers highlighted that prevent successful outcomes in some instances.

“People become increasingly aware of our practices and procedures, and these can be used against the authority in terms of manipulating the outcomes.”

Other figures contained within the report on enforcement activity show 1,479 fly-tipping offences were reported in Flintshire during the 12 month period.

A total of ten fixed penalty notices were issued to people for dumping rubbish, with two successful prosecutions in court.

Meanwhile, a further five fines were dished out for littering by council officers.

This was in addition to 2,603 warning letters, 203 legal notices and seven penalty notices given to residents for having overflowing black bins or rubbish bags piled at the side of them.

Ms Wilby said: “The team has been successful in working to enforce excess waste across Flintshire and we are aware of issues with this remit, especially at communal collection point locations.

“Our enforcement officers work closely with the waste and recycling collection crews to identify, log and issue section 46 notices for non-compliance with the side waste policy.

“Public awareness of the enforcement process has been enhanced and this has proved to be a successful campaign in reducing excess waste at the kerbside.

“Enforcement officers also support the recycling officers at excess waste ‘hotspot’ areas by carrying out door-knocking campaigns and letter/leaflet drops.

“Only by engaging with our residents can we fully understand their barriers to participation or non-compliance when presenting side waste.”

The report will be considered by members of the council’s environment and economy scrutiny committee when they meet on Tuesday (July 16, 2024).