East Devon District Council has invited the public to have their say on several changes it has put forward to its annual dog bans at beaches in the local area.

Under the current ban, dogs are not allowed on a large area of Sidmouth's beaches from 1 May to 30 September. (The dog exclusion area stretches from just beyond the Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat Station along Sidmouth Town Beach and covers a portion of Jacob's Ladder Beach).

The proposed changes come due to the fact that the council must review its public space protection orders (PSPOs) every three years under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Changes proposed

Changes put forward include:

• Removing the requirement to keep dogs on leads while on or next to a public highway (but dogs must be kept on a lead along Exmouth Esplanade);
• Allowing people to walk dogs on East Devon beaches at Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Beer and Seaton in the early morning and late evening during the dog ban period. The ban would only apply between 9am and 6pm;
• Allowing people to walk dogs on the whole section of Jacobs Ladder beach in Sidmouth;
• Allowing people to walk dogs off a lead on the eastern section of Beer beach during the dog ban period, but they must keep dogs on a lead to access the beach café;
• Requiring people to walk dogs on a lead between The Chine and Trevelyan Road all year round at Seaton, but removing the dog exclusion requirement along the Esplanade between Castle Hill and Trevelyan Road during the summer season;
• Raising the fixed penalty notice fine for breaching a PSPO from £80 to £100.

How to have your say

To comment on the proposed changes, you can email [email protected] or write to Environmental Health, East Devon District Council, Blackdown House, Border Road, Heathpark Industrial Estate, Honiton, EX14 1EJ.

The consultation ends on 20 November.