DOGS are set to be banned from parts of Chelmsford’s largest park under council plans to stamp out canine attacks reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

Chelmsford City Council is set to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) restricting areas of Hylands Park where dogs are allowed.

It is also set to include where dogs are allowed off the lead, and restricting the number of dogs that can be walked by an individual.

Failure to comply with the prohibitions and requirements imposed by this PSPO could lead to a £1,000 fine.

The proposals follow an increase in incidents of dangerously out of control dogs reported to Chelmsford City Council.

While the majority of the park will remain available for dogs to run off the lead, ‘on the lead’ zones are set to be designated where large numbers of visitors coalesce.

They include the estate’s car parks, including the Writtle Road entrance to Hylands Park, the green space immediately next to the adventure playground leading up to The Stables and Hylands House, the estate’s formal gardens, and the immediate area surrounding the Serpentine Lake.

The council plans a small number of spaces where dogs would not be permitted at all.

Dogs are already not permitted at the adventure playground, Hylands House, the Grand Pavilion and The Stables courtyard and fenced-off grazing areas for horses and cows but the order would formalise this.

In the last year there were 33 reports of dog on dog or dog on human attacks in public areas in Chelmsford, including a number of incidents at Hylands.

These include reports that a group of five large dogs off the lead approached a family opposite the adventure play area and one of the dogs jumped on a four-year-old child.

In another attack a large dog tried to bite a park user on an early morning walk.

The estate’s deer have been attacked by dogs off the lead at Hylands. Last month one animal had to be put down after sustaining serious injuries from a dog attack.

The council’s public health and protection services manager says the proposals are a proportionate response to this trend.

Paul Brookes, public health and protection services manager said: “Although most visitors to Hylands Park co-exist quite happily most of the time, there are occasions where out of control dogs cause alarm, distress and injuries to people, wildlife and other dogs.

“With incidents of this nature increasing both locally and nationally, it’s sensible to think about measures designed to ensure that everyone can use the park with confidence.

“In reality, these plans shouldn’t make much difference to the way that responsible dog walkers use Hylands.

“Public Spaces Protection Orders are intended to make public spaces more welcoming to the majority of law-abiding people.

“The proposed PSPO will allow people who are nervous around dogs and dog walkers who wish to keep their dog on the lead to enjoy the park without fear.

“The PSPO would also allow dog walkers plenty of space to walk their dog off the lead if they prefer.”

The PSPO, which is set to go to consultation after a Chelmsford cabinet meeting on July 6, would also limit the number of dogs walked by any one person to four.

This would apply anywhere in Hylands Estate.

The RSPCA recommends that no more than four dogs are walked at any one time by a single person and that is the maximum number being proposed for Hylands.

Councillor Rose Moore, Chelmsford City Council’s Cabinet Member for Greener and Safer Chelmsford said: “Hylands is a truly wonderful and substantial green space with an incredible variety of habitats and a fascinating history.

“Dog walkers who come to our beautiful park week in, week out, see all of the changes that happen throughout the year and feel an understandable connection with the estate.

“But Hylands isn’t only a place to walk our dogs. It’s a space for children to find joy in creative play and connect with nature, a park for get-togethers and picnics, a venue for a wide range of inspiring outdoor events, and a working estate with heavy horses and cattle.

“Fortunately, attacks by out of control dogs are not a common occurrence at Hylands, but they do happen, and reports of such incidents are increasing.