York street urination, defecation and dog fouling crackdown

The plans follow 280 requests to clean up faeces in York since January and 562 instances of street urination being reported in March alone, according to the latest council data.

A City of York Council report stated increasing dog fouling fines from £75 to £100 would set them at a more appropriate level and closer to penalties for other offences like littering.

But the plans come after only eight penalties issued for dog fouling under the current enforcement regime, along with 28 prosecutions for street urination and defecation since 2021.

Council figures show the number of requests to clean up faeces including from dogs was averaging 35-a-month as of August.

The average is down from last year’s average of 34 and from a peak of 39 in 2021.

Total requests in 2023 numbered 403, down from a high of 472 in 2021 but last year saw almost 100 more than 2019 when 309 were recorded from April onwards.

In the 12 months up to March this year, York BID received 4,194 requests to clean up urine and a further 2,058 related to ‘human biohazard fluid’.

March’s total of 562 urination instances was the highest recorded in the year.

City of York Council could introduce tougher fines for people who fail to clear up dog mess

Since March, one person has been prosecuted for street urination or defecation.

There were three prosecutions in 2023-4, 20 the year before and four and eight cautions in 2021-2.

Meanwhile, there were two dog control orders issued in 2023-4, with none issued the year before and one 2021-2.

A total of 19 community protection warnings were issued for dangerous dogs or dog attacks in the year up to March, compared to 12 a year prior and 19 in 2021-2.

Community protection notices issued for dangerous dogs and dog attacks numbered two, two and three respectively.

The plans for new penalties are set to be considered by council Safer Communities spokesperson Cllr Michael Pavolic on Wednesday, November 13.

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Cllr Pavlovic will decide whether to move to a consultation on the plans, the results of which would be brought back to inform a final decision at a later date.

A report on the plans stated the new penalties of £100 fines, discounted to £75 if paid early, would provide the council with a flexible and more immediate enforcement mechanism.

It added it would bring fines for dog fouling closer to those for littering which are now £120.

Rules requiring dog owners to keep their pets under control would also be included in the PSPO.

The report stated: “The introduction of a fixed penalty option will allow for the offences to be treated more proportionately and for a staged approach to enforcement to be taken.

“A summary conviction will still be sought for repeat offenders and/or aggravating circumstances.

“It would bring the dog fouling fine to a more appropriate level, given that dog fouling is arguably the more harmful offence.

“The amount of income raised isn’t significant, less than £10,000, but the new process may allow for additional penalty charge notice issues and revenue.

“We propose to consult with groups who represent the elderly, the disabled and the armed forces and veteran community and those that have an interest in dog welfare and represent dog owners.”