Warrington's dog control order is up for renewal. Walton Lea Cemetery and the golf course could be added, and a dog ban is one option. Comment by 30 September.

Dog owners have until 30 September to comment on Warrington’s rules for dogs in public places. The council wants to renew its Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order, and to extend it to three new places.

The additions it is consulting on are:

  • Walton Lea Cemetery, which was left out of the current order
  • Warrington Golf Course
  • the public right of way that crosses Warrington Golf Course

For Walton Lea, the council has put four options to residents. Dogs could be kept on a long lead, kept on a short lead, or banned from the cemetery grounds altogether. A mix of rules for different parts of the cemetery is the fourth option. (Warrington Borough Council consultation)

The consultation page does not say what restriction would apply on the golf course or the path across it.

What the current order says

The current order came into force on 1 April 2024 and lasts three years, so it runs out in 2027. It creates three offences:

  • failing to pick up after your dog, anywhere in the borough
  • not keeping a dog on a lead at the listed cemeteries, churchyards and nature sites
  • ignoring an authorised officer’s direction to put a dog on a lead, anywhere in the borough

The penalty is a fixed penalty notice of £100, or a fine of up to £1,000 if the case goes to court. (Dog Control PSPO 2024; council PSPO page)

Registered blind people, and people who rely on a trained assistance dog, are exempt.

Dogs must already be on a lead at four nature sites: Holcroft Moss, Thelwall and Woolston Eyes, Risley Moss and Rixton Claypits. The same applies at 15 cemeteries, churchyards and closed burial grounds. These include Warrington Cemetery, Fox Covert, Burtonwood, Hollinfare and St Mary’s in Lymm.

What Warrington's dog control order covers now and what could be added

Why Walton Lea

Walton Lea is on Chester Road in Walton, in the grounds of Lord Daresbury’s old estate. It is home to Walton Lea Crematorium, which opened in 1964.

The council’s Walton Lea Crematorium page already tells visitors to its grounds that a dog “must be kept on a lead at all times”. That is a site rule. It is not part of the order, so there is currently no fixed penalty for breaking it.

Cllr John Kerr-Brown, Cabinet member for environment, housing and public protection, said the new proposals were based on information received while the current order has been in force. (Council release, 13 August)

“The overwhelming majority of dog owners in Warrington are responsible and considerate,” he said. “Before any decisions are made, we want to hear from residents, dog owners, community groups and other interested parties.”

What it means for you

  • Nothing changes yet. The current rules stay in place until a decision is made. The council says it will consider every response first.
  • If you walk a dog at Walton Lea or across the golf course, this is the consultation that decides what happens there. The Walton Lea choice runs from a long lead to an outright ban.
  • Respond by 30 September using the online survey. For a paper copy, call 01925 442658 or email environmentalcrime@warrington.gov.uk. Large print, Braille, audio and other languages are available from consultation@warrington.gov.uk or 01925 443322.
  • To report dog fouling on council land, use the council’s reporting form. Officers say the details that help most are when the dog is walked, the route taken and any vehicle registration.