It was an interesting meeting – with a small group of local residents who were concerned about that perennial problem - dog mess.
It was very positive and some good ideas came out of it.
Its not pleasant at all
Dog mess seems to be one of the most raised problems in the town – found both on pavements and in places such as the Millennium Meadow, or the QEII Park. It's horrible. No one wants to end up with dog faeces on their shoes, clothes or their children when they go for a walk or enjoy the town's open spaces.
Such is the concern that a local resident recently videoed a walk along Test Road and came across at least eight disgusting piles, each awaiting an unsuspecting foot. What is the answer?
One nearby Council has obtained two mobile CCTV cameras which are taken around problem hotspots and it seems to have had reasonable success with a 50 – 60% drop in offences, as well as providing evidence to support prosecutions. This is to be investigated further.
Perhaps this is something a group of local people could organise in the same way that some towns and villages run SpeedWatch schemes to reduce traffic speeds?
There are privacy and data issues but these can be overcome.
Other ideas include marking the 'piles' with coloured sprays or flags, while the Town Council recently ran a childrens' poster competition and these will be appearing around the town soon.
Unfair on responsible owners
There are a great many responsible dog owners who often get unfairly tarred with the same brush by those who act in such anti-social ways.
Dogs can offer wonderful companionship and a source of much enjoyment for many. That must be maintained and respected. But what about the others?
It is hoped that action can be taken to discourage those who allow their 'Man's Best Friend' from acting in such irresponsible ways – but the big question must be how?
Sometimes mainstream sometimes at a tangent – living in Whitchurch, Hampshire
