Causeway Coast & Glens councillors' concern over lack of dog fouling and littering signage
Causeway Coast and Glens councillors have voiced concerns about a lack of dog fouling and littering enforcement signage across the borough.
At the March meeting of Causeway Coast and Glens Council’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, independent councillor Margaret Anne McKillop asked for an update on when warning signs, for dog fouling, letting dogs off-lead and littering would be replaced across her Glens District Electoral Area (DEA).
Councillor McKillop said towns and villages across the borough either have no dog fouling signs at all or only have stickers on bins to educate the public.
She added: “We have no ‘Take Your Litter Home’ signs either, and with regard to the beaches the large signs all need to be replaced and I think this is a time that these could be incorporated onto them.
“Some of them you can’t even read the writing on them and I feel like they aren’t fit for purpose. On some of our beaches the public don’t know if you can walk your dog without a lead, and there needs to be clear signage.”
DUP alderman Mark Fielding noted West Bay on Portrush had no ‘Keep Beaches Tidy’ signs, and asked how many were still to be erected across the borough’s beaches.
Director of Environmental Services, Aidan McPeake, said he would carry out a review, as it was his understanding all beaches had signage.
“If there’s Blue Flags or flags on the beach, there are criteria for dogs on the beaches at a particular time, so it’s important the signage reflects that,” he said.
“And the ‘Take Your Litter Home’ signage, we did have some of those erected in various areas so we can review that.”
DUP councillor Darryl Wilson questioned the effectiveness of signage and bins and asked if they were a good use of Council resources.
He added: “I’m not saying [it is a] waste of resources, it is needed to a certain extent, but does there need to be a bin every 50 yards [or] a sign every 50 yards?
“The people allowing their animals to do this are a select few and the majority of dog owners are responsible, so for those few irresponsible dog owners, will the signs make a difference?”
In response Mr McPeake said the signage allowed for education, and a new private firm will begin operation in May to carry out enforcement.
He concluded: “It’s probably the enforcement end that we have been late on, which is why we’ve introduced the private enforcement firm.
“In relation to the dog fouling I mentioned last time just about how difficult that is to catch, and just from a personal point of view I caught my first dog fouling incident earlier this month; that’s taken me ten years to find somebody and catch somebody in the act.”
Also during that meeting McPeake confirmed council had appointed a private enforcement company, starting May 11.
He concluded: “Our private enforcement company is coming on board, I have confirmation that they will start on May 11, and they have identified a number of areas that they will target.
“Their objective is to cover each of the DEAs on a regular basis, so each of the areas throughout the borough will be covered, and we have targets set in relation to dog fouling.”