Council set to approve tougher rules on Tower Hamlets dog owners following consultation results

Local dog owners won their fight against off-lead dog bans back in November, but the council are now set to approve new strict rules.

Tower Hamlets Council is set to approve a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which will see tougher rules introduced to dog owners in the borough.

In July 2024, cabinet members approved a public consultation on the Council’s plans to introduce the PSPO following a spate of dog attacks which occurred in the previous summer.

The consultation results have been published before next Wednesday’s (30 April) cabinet meeting, where Tower Hamlets mayor, Lutfur Rahman, is set to approve the creation of the PSPO.

Following the consultation and feedback which was received, Mr Rahman has been recommended to approve the following, which will be introduced as part of the new PSPO:

• Banning dogs from certain areas, such as gated children’s play areas and gated sports areas
• Limiting the number of dogs a person can walk at a time to a maximum of four
• Ensuring dogs are kept on leads on roads, pavements and communal estate areas
• Complying with an authorised officer’s instruction to put dogs on leads when asked to do so
• Introducing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for dog fouling

The mayor has also been recommended to approve the introduction of a professional dog walker licence, which would be implemented separately and is not part of the PSPO.

The PSPO will not apply to people who are registered blind, are deaf or those with a physical or mental impairment who use dogs for assistance.

Dogs that are under the control of police, contractors or agencies permitted by the council for official purposes will also be exempt from the order.

The council hopes the PSPO will see a reduction in dog-related anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents within the borough, and stated it knows the vast majority of dogs are peaceful and are owned by law-abiding owners.

According to internal police data, there were 92 dog attack crime reports in the borough between April and October 2024.

Tower Hamlets has the eighth highest crime reports relating to dog attacks out of all 32 London boroughs.

<he> Dog Control Consultation Results 

A public consultation, which took place between August and November 2024, saw just over 2,500 people respond to the proposals, of which 1,751 were from Tower Hamlets residents. 

The council asked all respondents whether they were dog owners, of which 1,275 people said yes, while 34 people said they were dog walkers, and 42 people said they used assistance dogs.

Additionally, 28 responses were from people acting on behalf of organisations, including East London Dog Community, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the Kennel Club and RSPCA. Other people who responded to the consultation included those who work in Tower Hamlets and those who visit the borough.

People were asked about their experience relating to dog control in Tower Hamlets, and whether they agreed or disagreed with each of the council’s proposals under the PSPO.

According to a cabinet report, 75% of all respondents were in support of the council’s plans to introduce tougher rules for dog fouling, while 65% of all respondents were in support of a rule requiring owners to put their dogs on leads when instructed by an authorised officer.

Additionally, 51% of people were in support of dogs being banned in all gated play parks and sports areas, though only 29% were in support of dogs being banned from ungated children’s play areas and sporting areas.

Only 28% of respondents were in support of dogs being kept on leads for all parks and open spaces, and 34% of people wanted dogs to be kept on leads for all ungated children’s play areas and sporting areas.

Meanwhile, the consultation saw 45% of people in support of introducing a professional dog walker license, while 43% of people were in support of limiting the number of dogs a person can walk at a time to four.

During a cabinet meeting in July of last year, Mr Rahman said there had been quite serious incidents of dog attacks, which in some cases, had been life-changing.

He said at the time: ‘We’re not saying we’re going to ban dog ownership, all we’re saying is be responsible, it’s a responsibility.

‘If you own a dog or you handle a dog, there are certain responsibilities you should have as an individual towards others, humans, people and property, and we’re here to protect the people of this borough.’

In November 2024, the East London Dog Community and the Animal Welfare Party handed a petition into the council, which urged for the plans to be completely rejected or significantly reduced.

Vanessa Hudson, leader of the Animal Welfare Party, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that a more holistic approach is needed if the issues are to be tackled effectively.

Ms Hudson said: “We would say the solutions [to dog attacks] don’t lie in a PSPO like this, they lie actually with national government, they lie in education, they lie in tighter breeding restrictions for companion animals, and they lie in wider social measures.”

The plans are set to be approved at a cabinet meeting next week (30 April).

If you liked this article, read Tower Hamlets Council to crackdown on dog-related anti-social behaviour