Speaking after the conclusion of a six-week consultation on proposed enforcement measures to clamp down on dog fouling in the city's parks and public spaces,Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Peter Bradbury, said: "We have had an overwhelming response to the consultationand we have of course noticed the strength of public feeling against proposals to ban dogs from marked sports pitches at certain times in the year.

"After assessing all of the available information and the results of the consultation, the Cabinet will be taking a formal decision early in the new year. However, my personal view, which I have discussed with my Cabinet colleagues, is that we are very unlikely to proceed with this element of the proposals."

The consultation focussed on the introduction of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), that could include:

• a requirement that dog owners or person responsible remove their dog faeces in all public spaces owned and/or maintained by the Council.'
• the exclusion of dogs in all enclosed playgrounds, marked sports pitches and schools, which are owned and/or maintained by the Council,
• a requirement that dogs are kept on leads within all cemeteries owned and/or maintained by the Council,
• a requirement allowing authorised officers to give a direction that a dog(s) be put and kept on a lead if necessary.
• a requirement for dog owners/walkers to carry bags or other suitable means for the disposal of dog faeces.
• increasing the fixed penalty notice from £80 up to £100, which if not paid could increase to £1,000.

Cllr Bradbury continued: "We have a key role to play in keeping ourpublic open spaces safe and clean so they can be enjoyed by everyone andwe remain concerned about the safety of children and sports users using our parks and green spaces because dog fouling is such a significant issue.

"There is a minority of dog owners who cause problems by not cleaning up after their dog or by failing to keep them under control and we receive hundreds of complaints every year about the matter.

"The proposals we consulted on did not involve banning dogs from parks or public spaces and would have affected only around 10 per cent of the green open spaces in the city. Outside of the relevant playing season, owners would still have been able to exercise their dog on playing fields in the city.

"However, this was always about consultation with the aim of gathering the public's views to inform the development of a PSPO.

"We will now fully review the consultation responsesand will work closely with the city's sports clubs and dog-walking community to find a way forwardto ensureour public and green spaces are clean and safe for everyone."

The outcome of the consultation and recommendations on the Public Space Protection Order for dog control will be presented to Cabinet for consideration in the New Year.