Harrow Council has launched a seven-week consultation on whether dogs should be allowed off-lead at Bentley Priory Nature Reserve in Stanmore.
The survey has been launched in the aftermath of now-suspended plans to ban four-legged freedom at the reserve. In a consultation that ran between March and May 2023, respondents overwhelmingly stated that Harrow’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), including Bentley Priory, should be better protected from anti-social behaviour.
The resultant Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) stipulated that dogs should be kept on-lead at SSSIs.
However, upon being informed of the new rules, dog owners argued that the new policy was an “overreaction” to problems caused by having dogs off-lead.
Amidst polarised views and general uproar, Harrow Council decided not to apply the new rules to Bentley Priory and instead launched a second consultation specific to the site.
Dog-lovers and hound-haters alike are now invited to partake in a second survey, which was launched on February 18 and will run until April 7.
Deputy Leader of Harrow Council councillor Marilyn Ashton hopes that the second consultation will pave the way to a long-term solution.
She said: “We’ve sent a letter through people’s doors to let them know the second consultation is happening. Whatever the result is, we want it to be as fair as possible.
“The last thing the council wants to do is upset people. We just want to find a solution that is realistic and sustainable.”
In the meantime, dogs are allowed to run free at the reserve.
To fill in the survey, head to https://talk.harrow.gov.uk/bentleypriory2024/surveys/harrow-pspo24
Photo Credit: Harrow Council
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