We, the undersigned, petition Thanet District Council (TDC) to take immediate and effective action to enforce the Dog Control Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) across the district by issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to deter irresponsible dog owners who fail to clear up their dog’s mess from our public spaces. We further call on the Council to work with local community organisations and Town/Parish Councils to establish Service Level Agreement's (SLAs) that enable these bodies, once trained and accredited under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) with Kent Police, to enforce the Dog Control PSPO. This would allow authorised staff from these organisations to assist TDC in tackling dog fouling through responsible, community-led enforcement — helping to keep our parks, beaches, and streets clean, safe, and welcoming for all residents and visitors. We also request that TDC publish an action plan within six months outlining how it will strengthen enforcement of the Dog Control PSPO, including performance targets for trained officers, patrols conducted, and FPNs issued, and that it report progress publicly on an annual basis.

Why do we need this?

Dog fouling across Thanet has reached unacceptable levels, leaving our pavements, parks, and beaches unpleasant, unsafe, and unhygienic. Residents regularly report having to dodge piles of dog mess on their daily walks — a blight on our neighbourhoods and a public health hazard that affects everyone.

In the last five years, Thanet District Council (TDC) has issued only three fines for dog fouling across the entire district. This near-total absence of enforcement means the Council’s own Dog Control Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is failing to deter irresponsible dog owners or protect public spaces.

At The Oval Bandstand & Lawns in Cliftonville — Margate’s first and only Green Flag Award–winning park — volunteers from GRASS Cliftonville CIC have installed and emptied dog waste bins at their own expense, run awareness campaigns, and cleared up countless piles of dog mess. Despite these efforts, the problem continues because enforcement by the Council is entirely absent.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

TDC already has the legal power to authorise enforcement under its PSPO. It can issue a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to community organisations that are willing and able to act — organisations whose staff are fully trained and vetted through the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS), administered by Kent Police. This would enable properly accredited local bodies to enforce the Dog PSPO — at no cost to the Council — and provide a visible, consistent enforcement presence in areas that need it most.

The petition does not propose that all community groups or parish councils be required to take on enforcement duties. It simply calls on TDC to establish the framework so that capable, willing organisations have the option to do so. No group would be under any obligation to participate, but having the mechanism in place would give local communities the tools to help tackle a problem that clearly isn’t being addressed at present.

We call on Thanet District Council to:

• Begin active enforcement of the Dog Control PSPO, including issuing Fixed Penalty Notice’s (FPNs) to offenders;
• Establish a formal Service Level Agreement (SLA) with community organisations and Town/Parish Councils — including GRASS Cliftonville CIC and other accredited local bodies — to delegate Dog Control PSPO enforcement powers through CSAS and Kent Police;
• Publish an action plan within six months outlining how enforcement will be strengthened, including officer training, patrols, and annual reporting of FPNs issued.

The people of Thanet deserve clean, safe, and well-maintained public spaces — and that requires both council leadership and empowered local communities.