Beach dog bans under discussion

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Proposals to make big changes to where dogs are allowed to go around Rye could see them banned from many local public spaces. Dogs could be also barred from almost all of Camber Sands during the summer months because of increased kite surfing. Rother District Council has opened a consultation on several plans which include banning dogs totally from Rye’s Gun Garden and restricting them to just the footpath through Rye Cemetery. In better news for dog owners, the proposals also include lifting all restrictions at Pett and Winchelsea beaches. The consultation runs until the end of July this year.

Current restrictions at Camber Sands

At Camber, the council says safety concerns about kite surfing have resulted in RDC asking for opinions on banning dogs from a much larger part of the beach during the summer. One proposal could see dogs restricted to just the section of sand next to the harbour entrance, and banned totally from Broomhill Sands from May to September. The other proposal would allow dogs near the harbour entrance and the section of Broomhill to the east of the car park. Keeping the current restrictions, or relaxing them further, are not in the proposals. A Rother District Council spokesperson said: “There has been an increase in recreational activities such as kite surfing in this area of the beach, and the proposals are to help ensure the safety of dog walkers and their dogs on Broomhill Sands.”

Option 1 at Camber & Broomhill
Option 2 at Camber & Broomhill Sands

At Pett and Winchelsea beaches the current summer bans on parts of each beach could be lifted. The proposals under consultation here are to have no restrictions for dog owners.

Across the district, Rother wants to ban dogs from sport and recreational facilities that are available in public open spaces, such as tennis courts, cricket, football and hockey pitches, gym equipment areas, BMX and skateboard areas in. Kathryn Field, cabinet member for environmental, licensing, community safety and climate strategy at Rother District Council, said: “We know that while the majority of dog owners are responsible, keeping their dogs under control and cleaning up after them, unfortunately a small minority do not.”

In Rye, there could be a total ban in the Gun Garden or to allow dogs but on short leads. In Rye Cemetery, which has seen controversial fines being issued to dog owners in recent months, there are also two proposals: either a total ban apart from on the right of way footpath or to allow dogs inside the cemetery but on short leads.

A spokesperson for Rother District Council told Rye News: “The council is consulting on dog control in order to update the public space protection order, which must be renewed by law every three years. Dogs will still be permitted on Camber beach at certain times and in specific areas, depending on the outcome of the consultation. It is also proposed that the current dog control restrictions for Pett and Winchelsea beaches are changed to allow dogs on these beaches with no restrictions. The issue of enforcement has not been a factor in the changes being consulted on.”

You can find more about the plans and a link to the consultation here https://www.rother.gov.uk/consultations/dog-control-in-2023/

Image Credits: James Stewart , Rother DC .

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18 COMMENTS

  1. Dogs are currently subject to a total ban by Rother District Council all year round in Rye Cemetery and the Gun Garden!

  2. It would be nice to enforce a dogs on leads policy in all residential areas. The road where I live is used as a playground and toilet by dog owners who let them run off leads all over our gardens. On one occasion, when on my knees weeding, a dog squatted a few feet in front of me whilst it’s owner remarked “it’s only a wee”. Revolting and disrespectful to residents!

  3. Sorry but we don’t want even more dogs at Winchelsea beach, there are too many there already as they don’t keep to the designated areas

  4. I am not a dog owner but see this as a war on dogs and their owners. Can’t these councilors find better things to improve? Dogs provide so much comfort to their owners including mental health. I recently cycled along Dymchurch beach where there is a ban, it was empty, acres of sand and very few people.

  5. Brede recreation ground is used by young and old, all ages in between and of all abilities. In the summer months many children use the play area, the cricket club have regular weekend matches against other village teams, the children from the school opposite use the rec.

    The recreation ground is ‘protected’ by a dog prohibition order. Unfortunately some dog owners are unable to comprehend the meaning of a No Dogs sign and walk straight past them to allow their animals to roam free.

    Unfortunately such people are unlikely to carry a poo bag and clean up after their dog, even if they did, even the most fastidious owner would not be able to remove all traces.

    The RDC spokesman said ‘The issue of enforcement has not been a factor in the changes being consulted on’. There is no enforcement of the rules at Brede rec so would there be elsewhere. If RDC are going to ignore the most important feature of banning dogs from public places why are they wasting time and money making No Dog Orders in the first place?

  6. Yes, sadly it is a few irresponsible dog owners that are tarring us all with the same brush. The Rye cricket pitch / skatepark is one of the spaces most decent dog owners meet to chat and let their dogs play together. They don’t inflict themselves on the central cricket pitch itself, and when the players are out in force they avoid the area entirely. Yet, every day HUMANS leave food waste and packaging, plastic bottles, hippy crack cannisters, vaping paraphernalia, cigarette and dope butts, and smashed glass bottles strewn across the area. Surely it’s the irresponsible humans that need to be banned, not the dogs. And what exactly is the point of bringing in more rules? Surely, the council should enforce the rules that are already in place before bringing in more. If someone is irresponsible adding more rules wont change their behaviour.

  7. Sadly the Football and cricket Salts have always attracted dog walkers and for years some have abused it,whilst Rye United were in residence for 7 months of the year, paying Rother district council a lot of money each week for the privilege, Saturday, Sundays and mid week under the floodlights, despite Rother district and their contractors doing little maintainance or clearing up dog mess,will a ban work on this recreational ground I very much doubt it, we tried for a ban and Rother were not interested, so it remains to be seen if they try to ban dogs, because I expect dog owners will just ignore it,just like we see on Camber Sands, and Rother haven’t the people to enforce it.

  8. Beach Bans under discussion.
    I am not a dog owner but think it is totally ridiculous that the area around Broomhills is even being considered to stop dog walking in that area May to September. The kite surfers only surf if weather permits dogs are walked every day. There are elderly residents with dogs who are not able to navigate the steep slopes for access to the designated walking area towards Rye harbour. It appears to me that the councils in Rother/Camber are unfairly treating businesses in higher regard than their voting residents.

  9. Why on earth do we need to make life less pleasant for responsible dog owners. Get your fingers out and enforce them irresponsible dog owners who can be seen any day of the week walking dogs on the restricted areas of the beach. What a waste of time and money even talking about this.
    Why give more user rights to the Kite/Windsurfers who only use the area when and if the conditions are right, not every day! The more frequent users every day dog walkers should not be further restricted.
    If there must be further considerations for safety then perhaps dogs should be kept on leads during periods of use by Kite/Windsurfers. A reasonable compromise?
    If considerations are now being given to Health and Safety then perhaps the boy racers who race there cars from the Broomhill Car Park should be monitored by Police to avoid a death. Then the enforcement of littering on the beach where I have collected glass bottles and jagged drink cans from the areas in front of the beach cafes. Do something about the restrictions that are already in place instead of putting further restrictions in place in order to give yourselves something to do.

  10. Once again,the interests of a minority (including business interests) takes precedence over the majority. It is difficult enough to walk along some parts of Broomhill even without a dog because of ‘kitesurfing lessons being given and cords and leads strewn across the beach.
    For goodness sake, dog walkers have been using the beach long before kitesurfers etc. took over. Just needs some give and take on both sides, not more rules and restrictions. There are many more important issues that need resolving in that area, eg,the state of the Broomhill car park, speeding, lack of toilets since Parkdean mysteriously removed the toilets that were at the front of their park for public use, lack of suitable covered bins to stop rubbish blowing everywhere and being removed by birds and foxes, etc etc.

  11. Can we do nothing better than continually increase the amount of regulation and control, when we don’t currently police what is already there? Yes I know that it is increasingly difficult to expect certain people to act in a considerate and responsible manner, but further reducing freedoms for everyone in the expectation that this will solve the problem is simply unfair on the majority, even if it does enable the council to say that they have acted to tackle things. Ask whether what is already in place is appropriate and policed, before even thinking about another layer.

  12. Ok so being a resident in Rye and a dog owner oh and a tax Payer, I feel I have to pipe up. Walking my canine partner who would never drop litter on the salts I see every day stuff dropped by people around the cricket green. Some drug related some not. Some on cricket days.
    So we have £100 fines handed out in towns for cig butts etc (not me) why not walk around salts in the eve ?.
    Come on , us dog owners are not the problem here.

  13. This seems like madness. Dog walkers use Camber once or twice a day, every day of the year. The beach is only really busy if its hot on weekends or bank holidays. Kite surfers only use the water when the wind is perfect + they are on the water not the beach. Please do not further restrict dog owners/walkers.

  14. This is bound to be a divisive issue and the comments above go to prove that. I would strongly urge those with a view to take part in the consultation using the link at the end of article. I will be accompanying NES officers (litter enforcement) on their rounds in Rye next month and one of the things I’ll be finding out about is how much of an issue dog mess is (can’t wait for that one!), in the meantime it’s vital that dog owners and everyone else make sure they are heard.

  15. I disgree with the proposals to extend the dog ban at Camber and Broomhills further than already in force. Who or what has highlighted the risk or potential risk posed by kite surfer vs dog? What about the horses and riders who seem to do just as they please on Camber and Broomhill beaches. Does the proposal extend to them also?

    What happens for those who live or stay and have dogs at the properties which open onto the beach (The Suttons etc) where the new restrictions are proposed?

    I would suggest that the council focus its efforts on policing the illegal and inconsiderate parking, littering, beach and dune barbecue use, human defecation in public and dog owners who don’t ‘pick up’ in and around the village before adding further restrictions.

  16. I am not a dog owner and I appreciate that most dog owners are responsible people, however I am disappointed that Winchelsea Beach is not included in the current suggestions. We already have a big problem with dog mess, both on the shingle and on the harbour walk. We are surrounded by many country walks as well as areas of the beach that are not used by families. Surely it’s not too much to ask that a couple of hundred yards in the vicinity of Dogs Hill be dog free.

  17. So I live on the outskirts of Lydd, Broomhill is my closest beach which is dog friendly all year round. I pick after my dogs as many others do too, however I often see the beach strewn with rubbish that is human originated as others describe, cans, plastic bottles, fishing nets etc, are they going to ban humans too? So many councils appear to have their own personal agenda and not that of the locals, so take note when the next elections come along!

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