Questions have been asked about how new restrictions on dog walking which could see owners fined would be enforced.

Medway Council has proposed a public space protection order (PSPO) across the Towns which would restrict where dogs can go, where they can be let off their lead, and how many dogs one person can walk at a time.

It asked residents for their views on rules which would see £100 fines dished out to improve community safety and the local environment of parks, and crackdown on dog fouling.

But councillors raised concerns about the practicalities of the PSPO, namely how it would affect dog-walking businesses and whether it would be toothless if the council did not properly allocate officers to enforce it.

Of 297 respondents, the majority agreed or strongly agreed that dog fouling, dogs in areas they are supposed to be excluded from, and dogs off leads where they shouldn’t be was a problem in Medway.

In total, 53% of respondents said they had been affected by irresponsible dog ownership, with 75% of those saying this was due to a dog owner lacking control of their dog and 43% said they had been scared by aggressive dogs.

The proposals for the PSPO on areas where dogs should be excluded, areas where they must be on leads, and penalties for people not cleaning up after their dogs all received over 80% support from respondents.

However the proposal to limit the number of dogs a person can walk at one time to four dogs only received 65% support, with objectors asking how the policy would affect dog-walking services.

The report was presented to the regeneration, culture and environment committee on October 10 where councillors also asked what the impact on dog-walkers would be and questioned whether these rules would be enforced.

Cllr Michael Pearce (IndGr) said he supported the PSPO’s introduction, but did not see how it would be enforced as the report recommended hiring only one enforcement officer.

He said: “The issue I have is how we’re actually going to enforce this. In the report it says there’s potential to hire one officer for the whole of the Medway towns and the Peninsula.

“We definitely need more than one to enforce this - and dog fouling is one of the most difficult things to try and crack down on.”

The report suggested options for enforcing the PSPO would be to hire one full-time employee dedicated to the issue, to add enforcement of the PSPO of existing officers, or to use the council’s external contractor, District Enforcement, to enforce it along with its other duties such as issuing fines for littering.

Officers accepted enforcement would be difficult considering Medway has more than 150 green spaces but the PSPO would be another tool to try and solve the issue.

Cllr Andrew Lawrence (Con) also said if the method of enforcement was as described in the report he would not support it because it was insufficient.

He said: “I just think we’re introducing something we’re not going to enforce, people will just think ‘what’s the point?’.

“I’d be more supportive of it if we actually had the resources to put it into action. The people who ignore the rules will just continue to do so.”

Cllr Smitha Campbell (Lab) said she supported the introduction and that awareness of the rules was paramount as most responsible dog owners would willingly comply.

She said she had walked her dog off its lead in an exempt area and was told by another member of the public about the rules and said the shame of breaking the rules, even inadvertently, was enough to make her more conscious of them.

She said: “It’s about culture change and behaviour change and education, but having a sign which makes clear the rules helps to improve the situation and get people to behave accordingly.”

Cllr Esther Cook (Lab) raised the impact of the four-dog limit on dog-walking businesses and asked what consideration had been made for them.

She said: “It’s a genuine concern because it’s important for allowing people to get out to work and know that their fur-babies are going to be looked after.

“What can we do so this whole community of business owners aren’t penalised?”

Council officers said there were no current plans for exemptions to the four-dog limit for dog-walking businesses, though they did recognise their importance and there were discussions at the national government level to bring dog-walking businesses under animal activities licensing rules.

The PSPO was recommended for approval by the committee with 10 votes for (seven Lab, two Con, one IndGr), one against (one Con), and two abstentions (two Con).

The report and comments from the committee will be considered by the council’s cabinet and, if approved there, will be voted on by all councillors at Full Council.