Dog exclusion zones back in force on city beaches from May

The dog exclusion zones apply to Roker beach and to a limited stretch of beach at Seaburn, between 1 May and 30 September.

These are part of the City Council's wider Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which was introduced in 2019 in response to calls from residents for more enforcement action on a range of anti-social behaviour issues from dog fouling to dropping litter. This was renewed last year following extensive public consultation.

Michelle Coates, Neighbourhood Enforcement Manager at Sunderland City Council, said: "We know from our Let's Talk resident feedback that the environment is a top priority for our residents with calls for more enforcement action. More than 90 per cent of those who took part in the consultation we carried out ahead of the PSPO renewal last year were in favour of keeping the dog exclusion zones on our beaches as they are.

"We're aware that not everyone knows about the dog exclusion zones or remembers when they come into force which is why we're taking this opportunity remind them. We also have clear signage at both beaches as well as information on our website."

"We're lucky enough to have some fabulous beaches in Sunderland with more than enough space for everyone, so we would ask anyone planning to take their dog for a walk along the beach to make sure that they check the signage and observe the zones."

"We would also ask people to make sure that they clean up after their dogs. Although the vast majority of our residents do this, we still see some irresponsible dog owners who allow their dogs to foul on our footpaths, green spaces and beaches and don't clear it up. This has resulted in us issuing 194 fixed penalty notices for dog fouling and dog control offences citywide in the last year, and 62 for dog fouling and dog control at Roker and Seaburn beaches over the same period."

Anyone caught breaching the dog exclusion zones or not clearing up after their dog and disposing of the waste in a dog waste bin or their own bin faces a fixed penalty fine of £100.

For further information on the city's Public Space Protection Order and the area covered by the dog exclusion zone visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/pspo