Dog Owners Face Continued £100 Fines as Hartlepool Renews Public Space Rules...
Hartlepool Dog Restrictions Set to Stay as Residents Demand Tougher Enforcement
10th September 2026
Hartlepool’s existing dog-control restrictions are set to remain in force for another three years after a public consultation revealed overwhelming support for many of the current rules — with residents repeatedly calling for stronger enforcement.
Hartlepool Borough Council’s Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services Committee will consider renewing the borough’s Public Space Protection Orders, or PSPOs, when it meets on 15 September 2026.
The existing orders are due to expire in October and cover a range of dog-control measures across Hartlepool, including dog fouling, requirements to keep dogs on leads in certain locations, exclusion areas and restrictions on the number of dogs one person can walk at any one time.
Breaching a PSPO is a criminal offence, although the council can deal with breaches by issuing a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice.
Four-dog limit set to remain
Under the existing rules, no person is permitted to walk more than four dogs at the same time anywhere in the borough.
The consultation attracted particularly strong support for keeping that restriction, with 90.9% of respondents agreeing that the four-dog limit should remain.
However, comments submitted during the consultation claimed some professional dog walkers were openly ignoring the rule, while others argued that even four dogs could be too many for one person to control.
Residents repeatedly called for better enforcement and improved signage.
Huge support for tougher action on dog fouling
The strongest support was recorded for rules requiring owners to clean up after their dogs.
Some 96% of respondents backed the borough-wide dog-fouling order, while 96.6% supported the requirement for dog walkers to demonstrate that they have the means available to pick up after their animal.
But the consultation responses suggest frustration remains over whether the rules are actually being enforced, with residents calling for more monitoring, more bins and stronger deterrents, with some even suggesting offenders should be “named and shamed”.
Others questioned how many fines had actually been issued for dog fouling in recent years.
Debate continues over beaches and promenades
Some of the greatest disagreement surrounded areas where dogs are excluded altogether.
While 72.3% supported the existing dog exclusion areas, more than a quarter of respondents opposed them.
Comments included calls for dogs to be allowed back onto beaches, suggestions that exclusion areas should instead become on-lead zones and demands for the size or duration of some restrictions to be reduced.
Several respondents specifically called for North Sands to be removed from the restrictions, while others argued that enforcement should target irresponsible owners rather than placing wider restrictions on responsible dog walkers.
The consultation also recorded calls for restrictions to be reconsidered at the Headland Promenade and the recreation ground at Kinsley Avenue.
Calls for dogs to be kept on leads
Some 84.7% of respondents supported existing rules requiring dogs to be kept on leads in designated areas.
Comments revealed sharply contrasting views, with some residents arguing dogs should be kept on leads everywhere in public while others said responsible owners should be allowed greater freedom.
There were also suggestions that areas could operate different restrictions at different times of day — allowing dogs off leads early in the morning and evening but requiring leads during busier daytime periods.
The rules also allow authorised officers to direct owners to place dogs on leads when an animal is causing a nuisance.
That measure received support from 89.5% of respondents, with several people describing experiences of poorly controlled dogs running towards or jumping at them.
Extendable leads also criticised
The council currently restricts dog leads in cemeteries to a maximum length of 1.5 metres.
Around 80.2% of respondents backed retaining that measure, although several people went further and called for extendable leads to be banned altogether however, a common theme within the responses was that residents believed the existing regulations were not being enforced strongly enough.
Alley gates also overwhelmingly supported…
The same PSPO renewal process also covers Hartlepool’s extensive network of alley gates.
Without the legal order being renewed, the council warns that gates covered by the PSPO would effectively have to be left open because otherwise they could unlawfully obstruct the highway.
Some 98% of respondents supported retaining the alley gates, with residents saying they helped combat crime, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
Complaints included damaged locks, gates being left open and gates being blocked, but overall public support remained extremely high.
Enforcement appears to be the bigger issue
Taken together, the consultation suggests there is relatively little appetite among residents to abolish Hartlepool’s dog-control rules. Instead, one of the clearest messages appears to be that many residents want the council to enforce the restrictions it already has. A total of 298 responses were received to the dog-control consultation, with majorities supporting every existing measure considered.
Council officers are recommending that councillors approve the renewal of the existing PSPOs, with the renewed orders expected to take effect from 18 October 2026 if approved.
The renewed powers would remain enforceable by both Cleveland Police and the council’s Civil Enforcement Team.Dog Owners Face Continued £100 Fines
