Proposed changes requiring dogs to be on kept on a lead in Rickmansworth Aquadrome have been dropped.
The proposal was due to be discussed at a meeting of Full Council on Tuesday, July 8, but was removed from the meeting’s agenda earlier today (July 7).
A consultation was recently held on whether the current Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in place at the Aquadrome should be extended. Previously, the PSPO required dogs to be on leads only around the site’s café.
At a meeting on Tuesday, July 1, Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) members voted to extend the PSPO to cover the whole of the Aquadrome, meaning dogs would no longer permitted to be off-lead at the park.
Residents had criticised the way in which the consultation was carried out. It has been alleged that the majority of people were not aware the consultation was taking place, as only seven responses were received, and only one member of the public was allowed to speak at the meeting last month.
TRDC said all the requirements of a consultation were met, and that it is not unusual for a consultation to receive a low response rate.
However, today (Monday, July 7), TRDC confirmed that the changes would not go ahead. The current PSPO will remain in place.
Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst OBE, Leader of TRDC, said: “It is clear that the limited response to the formal public consultation last year was a concern to some residents. Whilst this was promoted and the proposals were directly communicated to parish councils, including Batchworth Community Council, which covers the Aquadrome, the police, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Hertfordshire County Council and The Kennel Club, only the latter raised any comments. There are passionate views for and against further controls. However, it is clear that the council needs to consider all aspects before making any changes.
“So, having discussed the issue with some other group leaders and councillors, I asked that the item be removed from the meeting agenda. That means there will be no changes to the current order at this time. We will now review the order before we make any decision on future changes.”
Photo credit: Sue Lowden Facebook
0 Comments