The proposals for dog control orders by Elmbridge Council, while partly sensible, are cumbersome and unnecessarily restrictive as now set out.

It is reasonable to ban unleashed dogs from cemeteries, recreation grounds and park flowerbeds but absurd to suggest banning them from all open spaces -- especially the so-called "dog exclusion areas" listed in the online questionnaire. If dogs cannot run free on our commons (or are banned from heathland between February
and September) it would be an unacceptable restriction. Groundnesting birds have survived the attentions of roaming quadrupeds for centuries. They aren't going to be extinguished now by suburban dogs on a daily ramble.

People walking their dogs, on and off the lead, ensure the commons and
woodlands are well-populated and safe for us all every day. No small
contribution to public relaxation and happiness. With the restrictions proposed their numbers there would be seriously reduced.

Keep ‘dog police’ under control

While it is right to give authorised officers powers to enforce responsible
behaviour from dog owners, it is the level of control that counts, not an
arbitrary bureaucratic decision that three is the maximum acceptable
number of dogs per person. Some owners cannot keep one dog under
control. Some professional dog  walkers can handle many more
without causing any nuisance. It is the nuisance which must be the
measure, not the number.

It would nevertheless be important for us to be told how much the proposed 'policing' of dog walkers would add to our council tax. Dog fouling is clearly a health and hygiene issue in the more frequented areas (though not in the off-piste undergrowth where dogs roam) and should be rigorously controlled but this does require adequate poopscoops
and receptacles on all open spaces. More of these should be
provided before any control orders are implemented. Why are there none on any of our commons footpaths?

If you want to add your views to this debate you can write to Dog
Consultation, Elmbridge Borough Council, Leisure and Cultural Services,
Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, Surrey KT10 9SD. Or you can fill in the
online questionnaire: go to Elmbridge Dog Control Orders and click on
online questionnaire. There is a Stop the Dog Control Order in Elmbridge
Petition online and there other relevant sites you can click on here.You can text 'elm dog' to 07786 205155 to ask for a postal questionnaire to be sent to you. Maps showing the areas affected by the proposed Order can be seen online (Dog Control Order areas page) or at the Civic Centre in Esher. The Consul t a t ion pe r iod ends on November 30, so have your say by then. The nanny state is supposed to be in retreat. Don't let it get on to the front foot again.