A number of people have been handed out £100 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for having their dogs off the lead on and around the grass cricket pitch at Harewood Park.
Some complained about the lack of warnings about the rules and others claimed they were unfairly fined because their dogs were not on the marked out cricket pitch but loose on the perimeter of the park.
One local resident said:
“Lots of dog owners bring their dogs down there. We asked lots of them and no-one was aware that you had to have your dog on a lead. The only sign we found was on the rubbish bin outside the tennis courts. It’s very small.”
Responding to the incidents which took place in September a Plymouth City Council spokesman said:
“We do not comment on individual cases. The laws on dog control in Plymouth are clear. Dogs must be kept on a lead on all Council owned/managed sports pitches within the marked pitch/playing area.
“Details on what to do if you are issued with an FPN that you feel is unfair are available on our website https://new.plymouth.gov.uk/ environmental-crime”
Among the information provided on that link is the following statement:
“There is no legal appeal against an FPN. It is a criminal offence. You can pay the FPN to discharge your liability for the offence or the case will be considered for prosecution in the Magistrates Court. You can put your case to the Magistrates Court if you do not agree with the FPN.
“We will consider written representations in certain circumstances and only within 14 days of the FPN being issued. We will only accept these by using the form on the FPN Make a representation link below. We do not accept representations if you did not know enforcement was being carried out, if it was the first time you had committed the offence or that you were not aware of the law.
“You will receive a response to your representation if it is made in the time limit. If the representation is accepted, the case will be closed and you will hear nothing else from us. If the representation is rejected you will have a further seven days to pay the FPN.
“The council is pursuing cases of enviro-crime through the Magistrates Court. Convictions can lead to a fine, court costs and a criminal record, imposed by the Magistrates or Crown Court.”
Meanwhile the adequacy of warning notices in Harewood Park and also St Mary’s Park, where the same rules apply, was among the issues raised during councillor reports at last month’s meeting of Plympton Community Council. Both Cllr Natalie Harrison (Cons, Plympton St Mary) and Cllr Terri Beer (Ind, Plympton Erle) agreed the warning signage is poor and are calling for it to be improved.
(Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)
