Fear after dog poo bags binned
Councillors fear that problems with dog poo will ‘get worse’ following the ending of a Telford & Wrekin Council free bag scheme.
“The dog bag provision that was being provided free of charge is very quickly coming to an end unfortunately,” said Councillor Clare Lloyd (Brookside) who chairs Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council.
“We are expecting to see that it gets worse.”
She added that the council had received ‘no warning’ that the scheme was ending.
Councillor The Rev Mercy Anne Salifu (Brookside Ward) had told the council at a meeting this week that the children’s playground in her ward “had a lot of dog poo” when she visited it.
Another councillor is so concerned that she spent £30 on paying for 4,000 poo bags that can be given away. She hopes it will give the parish time to decide whether they should pick up the scheme’s funding.
Councillor Tammy Wood (Stirchley Ward), the council’s vice-chair, said: “The dog warden notified us that the scheme has ended and there is no more.”
She said she used her councillor allowance to buy the bags to give the parish council time to consider whether it wanted to provide the free service.
“In the four years I have been here it’s all about the p’s – parking, pavements, play parks, and poo. Poo is a big issue that I get through my inbox,” said Councillor Wood.
Parish and borough councillor Arnold England (Brookside Ward) offered to donate some of his Telford & Wrekin Pride Fund money for local projects to help.
A spokesperson for Telford & Wrekin Council has confirmed that money previously spent on the scheme would be used “to support vital council services that benefit the wider community.
“As a responsible pet owner, it is up to individuals to ensure they clean up after their dogs.”
“We remain committed to tackling dog fouling and are looking forward to rolling out a new dog campaign in the coming months to promote responsible pet ownership, keeps our public spaces clean and raises awareness around responsible dog ownership.”
At the end of 2024 Telford & Wrekin Council said that it dealt with a record of 1,119 dog fouling incidents in 2023-24, an increase of 36 per cent on the previous year, 2022/23. It launched a campaign’ offering a £50 reward to tackle the issue.
But the council says there is a reluctance among people to give evidence against their neighbours and issued four fixed penalty notices since 2021/22 with just one paid.
Story by David Tooley – Local Democracy Reporter
