More than 1,000 people have signed a petition to make part of a popular park dog-free again.
Simon Andrews set up a petition titled Restore the Dog-Free Fenced Area at Blakers Park Brighton on Change.org which has attracted 1,309 signatures at the time of going to press.
With a group of 10 neighbours, he has been leafleting to encourage people to sign the petition to make the area around the park’s clock tower subject to a public space protection order (PSPO) to make it dog-free.
The petition said: “For over 40 years, this fenced area has served as a safe and peaceful haven where school groups, nursery children and families have gathered for picnics, games, and community events.
“In the 1970s, following strong local advocacy over concerns such as dog fouling, the community successfully secured its dog-free status.
“This long-standing arrangement has helped foster safety, accessibility and harmony in the park.
“However, the current PSPO does not include this important space within its dog-free designation despite its historical use as a dog-free area.
“As a result, dogs are now allowed in a space that has traditionally been relied upon for safe, dog-free recreation.
“We believe that the wellbeing of children and the integrity of this valued community space must be protected.
“We respectfully urge Brighton and Hove City Council to amend the current PSPO to reinstate the dog-free status of the fenced area, ensuring that Blakers Park remains a welcoming and secure environment for children, families and the wider community.”
The petition already has more than 1,300 signatures – enough to secure a debate at a full council meeting. The next meeting is due to take place in June.
Mr Andrews said: “We just want to get the numbers up now the best we can to drive it home.
“When I moved here 20-odd years ago there were signs that said ‘no dogs’ until about five years ago when someone spotted the council had not reapplied to relist it as dog-free and the council had to take the signs down.
“Dog owners are using it and it always was dog-free. There are infant school kids going in and youngsters knocking about a football. They love it in the fenced area.
“It’s totally wrong as they (dog owners) have a much larger stretch of grass outside this area. That’s what we’re up in arms about.”
Since 2011, all dogs – excluding guide dogs, hearing dogs and disabled support dogs – have been banned from certain public beaches from May to September, some parks and all cemeteries except for funerals. All children’s play areas are also dog-free areas.
Current PSPOs restricting dogs in parks are operating until 2026.
The parks are the Steine Memorial Gardens, Kipling Gardens, in Rottingdean, the Rockery Gardens, in Preston Road, William Clarke Park, in Picton Street, Saunders Park (excluding the fenced dog area to the south west corner of the park), in Lewes Road, and part of Queen’s Park.
Since 2009, dogs must be kept on leads in all parts of Brighton and Hove and the person in charge of the dog at the time must clean up any faeces.
The petition is available on the Change.org website by visiting www.change.org/p/restore-the-dog-free-fenced-area-at-blakers-park-brighton.
Nothing like playing in dog mess, all city parks should be dog free. Unfortunately too many people get a dog and don’t clean up after them/ worm them. And unfortunately some halfwits buy XXL bully and Pitbulls… Ruining it for everyone else
Nonsense – all parks?? I own a dog but firmly agree that dog owners must pick up dog mess, that dogs must be keot under control, that dangerous/banned breeds must be banned ir muzzled according to the law etc. I also have young children and do not want them exposed to risk. But I do not agree that every public space is for the use solely of humans or that children should not learn to live alongside dogs and other species. Compromise can surely be reached.
North half of Hove Park is where dogs are allowed off lead. What actually happens is many walkers carry on walking the road circuit, leaving behind their dog which does its business then runs to catch up with its owner who is, I suggest deliberately unaware of what’s happened.
Saturday mornings, lots of young children are playing football in the same area where the muck has been left.
Perhaps it’s appropriate that ‘Saturday ‘ includes the word, ‘turd’.
Sa turd ay.
In fairness, quite a number clean up after their animals but I have witnessed a good many who do not.
Some enforcement would not come amiss.
Off leash gives irresponsible, phone obsessed owners, excuses for not noticing their dogs fouling and not picking up.
This contradicts the article:
“Since 2009, dogs must be kept on leads in all parts of Brighton and Hove”
Are there signs?
Let’s ban humans too. Large numbers dump litter and behave in an anti-social way in parks. Why is that any different?
Even if considerate dog owners cleaned up after their dog, a residue would always be left behind on the grass, just waiting for a baby/toddler/child to crawl through. Therefore the argument of “I always clean up after my dog” doesn’t work.
So how are you going to clean up after foxes/birds/other wildlife as well? Accept that the world isn’t sterile or existing solely for human convenience.
I work at a small private childcare setting and we use this area regularly for our lunch break. With the dogs inside the fenced off area it doesn’t feel safe to let the children play and run around freely, not even mentioning the issue with poo….
So you use public areas for business use and want to dictate who uses it.
Entitled much?
Don’t be ridiculous
there is a children’s playground and dogs are not allowed there. Isn’t that a better alternative for children to play?
If it’s just one small fenced off area, then I don’t see the harm in it being a dog free zone. There are so many wide open green spaces in Brighton where you can take them. I stopped taking mine to Queens Park because it’s a disproportionately small corner of the place that’s dog friendly, and it’s full of totally oblivious owners who can’t recognise a nervous dog that wants to be left alone or call their own back even if they tried. Luckily – the racehill and East Brighton Park aren’t far away and we can walk there without too much interaction with other dogs.
Making this area dog free again will make a big difference many local children. Our daughter is terrified of dogs and being in Preston Park is increasingly stressful for her with so many dogs off leads. We understand dog owners want to use the space in that way, but it would be helpful for kids like ours who are scared of dogs to have an alternative space.
all of the fenced childrens’ play areas in the city parks are dog free. Existing PSPO covers this: “Children’s Play Areas, at any time
All children’s play areas in the City of Brighton & Hove enclosed by fencing and containing play equipment”
Dog crap on most streets in Brighton. There needs to be compulsory training for dog owners as too many are clueless.
I await Brighton council’s pathetic reasoning here.. dog owners feel discriminated against?
I used to volunteer at Waterhall, as part of the re-wilding project, I remember it becoming overrun with dogs very quickly which was a threat to the rare local wildlife. The local councilors got the area dedicated as a nature reserve and insisted dogs to be kept on leads. Sadly the response was furious and disproportionate, from dog walkers who destroyed fencing and started a whole vitriolic campaign against the policy. The policy is still largely ignored and it remains a mass dog fouling area, which is very sad. I wish good luck to the people behind this campaign and hope they can get a dog free area, without a furious kick back.
dogs were at Waterhall long before the rewilding project – for decades before. The wildlife co-existed and developed quite happily for decades and continues to do so. The response from dog walkers was so angry because the council didn’t consult – something they have admitted was a huge mistake. Some locals even bought cars as they then had to travel to other areas. Things have calmed down a bit and dogs are only required to be on lead during ground bird nesting season – and no ground nesting birds have nested there yet (perhaps because of the bird scarers on neighbouring farms).
As for dog fouling at Waterhall – there is hardly any. But the council have refused to add more poo bins to reduce what there is (indeed some have been removed!).
Blakers Park is different. This small area of the park has been dog-free for years but wasn’t listed as dog-free on official PSPO orders (presumably an admin error). There are dog-walking areas around it. Ideally these would also be fenced as risk to dogs and traffic from them running free in the park.
The issue is even when you have a dog free area, (like Stoneham Park), some choose to ignore it knowing full well their dogs are not permitted in their. Its a shame a few irresponsible dog owners ruin it for everyone else.
that’s true. But the same is true of other users of public spaces. The dirt-track motorbikes and quads on parks and footpaths, cyclists on footpaths, rubbish/broken glass left in parks after parties and so on.
A counter petition has been set up so that we can have a more balanced view on what the community would like: https://chng.it/8gSt5nXQNv
What about those humans who choose to identify as dogs?
The problem is that once you allow dogs in then irresponsible owners would let their dogs mess it up. Sorry it won’t work.
What’s your point Dave? Kids aren’t allowed to be safe – was that it?