Queen’s Park Gardens dog run area, dog control and sensory garden

Queen’s Park Gardens dog run area, dog control and sensory garden

Queen’s Park Dog Run – Dog Petition Response

Prepared by Amanda Scott – Relationships Manager, Parks and Green Spaces, Westminster City Council

Summary

A petition has been brought to the council by a resident of Queens Park, with 164 signatures, asking that Westminster City Council does not spend council taxpayer funds on a project to split the dog run area in Queens Park into two areas, along with associated dog friendly planting and dog exercise equipment.

Background 

The existing dog run area at Queen’s Park has been in situ for many years and is very well used by a wide audience in the local community. 

It’s not just a place to let your dog off the lead, it’s also become a regular meeting place for local people. It encourages more people to use the other facilities in the park and has led to the creation of new friendships and social bonds, which has established a stronger community connection.

Although the dog run is a well-loved asset, it is one long linear space surrounded by fencing with a gate at either end. This results in all dogs and owners mixing together.  There have been separate incidents where dogs have attacked other dogs, ending in subsequent injuries. 

Two of those dogs needed to be euthanised by local veterinarians. Owners of smaller dogs are particularly concerned about mixing their pets with very large dogs, and on occasion, larger dog owners have been known to close off the entrance with litterbins to stop other owners from entering.

Local residents had previously requested for the dog run to be divided and split to increase usage of the area and allow owners to move their dogs to where they would feel safer or provide an area where less socialised dogs could be trained and exercised. It was felt that this was a reasonable request due to the issues stated, but that the Council lacked funding to carry out the works to split the area with new fencing.  

Officers in the Council’s animal welfare team proposed seeking external funding and an application to Veolia’s sustainability fund was made on the basis of new fencing, dog friendly planting and exercise equipment to further activate the area for users.  The team were informed that their submission to the fund was successful in November 2022.

To ensure that the new scheme would be accepted and approved by the local community, a consultation was run over 4 weeks in February 2023 (this was extended a further 4 weeks until 24^th April 2023) asking local people if they supported the proposed changes to the dog run area. 71 responses to the survey were received with 66% of respondents agreeing with the proposed changes.  The result of the consultation has been reported to councillors for their consideration and we await approval that the scheme can go ahead based on the results of the consultation.

During the consultation a petition was brought to the council, led by a resident of Queens Park, with 164 signatures, asking that Westminster City Council does not spend council taxpayers funds on a project to split the dog run area in Queens Park into two areas, along with associated dog friendly planting and dog exercise equipment.

The portfolio holder asked the Parks Manager to take the request away, investigate further and come back with this response to the petition.

Response 

The petition relates to asking that taxpayers funds collected by the council are not spent on the delivery of new infrastructure for the Queen’s Park dog run.

In this case funds from the council’s general budget has not been allocated to this proposed scheme.  

The animal welfare team which is part of the Council’s Environment team were successful in securing an external funding source (Veolia) which proposes to fully cover the costs of the works for the fencing and the dog friendly planting.  Further, the team have successfully secured the dog exercise equipment for free from working with our good partners at Battersea Dogs Home.

Conclusion 

The parks team acknowledges the nature of the petition and the concerns raised about how taxpayers funds are spent.

However, in this case, due to the fact that the funding for this scheme is from external sources (both in funds and in kind), and that the consultation received a majority positive response from the local community, that the council turns down the petitioner’s request and that Councillors continue with their consideration to approve the works to go ahead.

The matter is now considered closed.  We thank the petitioner for taking the time to raise the matter with the council.

Consultation description

The enclosed dog run area is a popular location for local resident dog owners, as it provides a dedicated area where dogs can be let off lead. It also acts as a communal meeting space for owners.

Most of the dog owners who use the space are responsible and ensure their dogs display sociable behaviour. However, we continue to receive complaints about dogs not under the control of their owners. This has resulted in some smaller dogs needing veterinary treatment, and meant some owners are often reluctant to use the space.

In response to this, and having secured funding from Veolia’s sustainability fund, we are asking residents for their opinions and feedback that will inform whether we introduces a dividing fence and additional sensory planters. In our consultation we have proposed several ways, designed to be as simple as possible, to allow residents to give their opinions.

We are proposing to install a dividing fence inside the dog run area and introduce a sensory garden in planters. This will:

1. provide reassurance and give all owners an informed choice on choosing locations where they’d like to exercise their dogs off lead
2. divide the space to maximise the number of owners able to use the area at any one time, using the two entrances
3. introduce a sensory garden in planters where all dogs can benefit from located plants designed to calm and provide mental stimulation for their dogs

View a mock-up of the proposals:

Document

Queen's Park proposed dog run planPDF, 1.03 MB, 2 pages

Frequently asked questions

Will dividing the dog run area affect current dog control measures?

No, the proposals will not affect the current dog controls under public spaces protection orders that are in place throughout Queen’s Park. Officers with delegated powers can still instruct owners within the dog run area to leash their dogs but having 2 spaces will reduce the risk of incidents.

How will planting help irresponsible ownership?

Dogs use their noses to sense mood and behaviour, and their strength of smell is a well proven science. Introducing a sensory garden for dogs will provide calming plants across both spaces that help reduce anxiety and distress in dogs. Selected plants such as hops, lavender, and marigolds can calm hyperactive dogs during seasonal periods and provide mental stimulation too. We will work with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (BDCH) and the local community to select the correct plants that provide all year-round benefits for visiting dog enrichment.  

How will the planters be managed?

Council officers will work with the parks team and the local community to select and manage a planting and maintenance programme. This will include selecting appropriate planters that support mental stimulation for dogs and mitigate plant theft which has also been reported as an issue. It is envisaged that a local programme can be implemented to sustain and support plant management.

How will it benefit the wider community?

The proposed dividing fence will enable visiting dog owners to make an informed choice, particularly those with smaller dogs or those being trained. We hope that by dividing the area supported by education will steer and discourage owners from using spaces where dogs are not permitted to be off lead. The addition of planters with the sensory garden will also support this and provide stimulation for all dogs. Ensuring that all owners are responsible, and their dogs are socialised will further give reassurance to all visitors to the gardens and the local area.

Veolia Environmental Ltd have provisionally agreed to fund these proposed changes through their sustainability fund that supports local community projects. The lead time for the works would be approximately 4 to 6 weeks. It is likely the new fence and planting would begin around March/April, weather permitting, to support any seeding required for grass growth following the works.

What happens next

Thank you for sharing your views on the proposals. The outcome of this consultation can be found on the next page.

For any site-specific questions please contact our parks team at parks@westminster.gov.uk

For any animal welfare or dog control queries please contact us at animalwelfare@westminster.gov.uk

Consultation description

The enclosed dog run area is a popular location for local resident dog owners, as it provides a dedicated area where dogs can be let off lead. It also acts as a communal meeting space for owners.

Most of the dog owners who use the space are responsible and ensure their dogs display sociable behaviour. However, we continue to receive complaints about dogs not under the control of their owners. This has resulted in some smaller dogs needing veterinary treatment, and meant some owners are often reluctant to use the space.

In response to this, and having secured funding from Veolia’s sustainability fund, we are asking residents for their opinions and feedback that will inform whether we introduces a dividing fence and additional sensory planters. In our consultation we have proposed several ways, designed to be as simple as possible, to allow residents to give their opinions.

We are proposing to install a dividing fence inside the dog run area and introduce a sensory garden in planters. This will:

1. provide reassurance and give all owners an informed choice on choosing locations where they’d like to exercise their dogs off lead
2. divide the space to maximise the number of owners able to use the area at any one time, using the two entrances
3. introduce a sensory garden in planters where all dogs can benefit from located plants designed to calm and provide mental stimulation for their dogs

View a mock-up of the proposals:

Document

Queen's Park proposed dog run planPDF, 1.03 MB, 2 pages

Frequently asked questions

Will dividing the dog run area affect current dog control measures?

No, the proposals will not affect the current dog controls under public spaces protection orders that are in place throughout Queen’s Park. Officers with delegated powers can still instruct owners within the dog run area to leash their dogs but having 2 spaces will reduce the risk of incidents.

How will planting help irresponsible ownership?

Dogs use their noses to sense mood and behaviour, and their strength of smell is a well proven science. Introducing a sensory garden for dogs will provide calming plants across both spaces that help reduce anxiety and distress in dogs. Selected plants such as hops, lavender, and marigolds can calm hyperactive dogs during seasonal periods and provide mental stimulation too. We will work with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (BDCH) and the local community to select the correct plants that provide all year-round benefits for visiting dog enrichment.  

How will the planters be managed?

Council officers will work with the parks team and the local community to select and manage a planting and maintenance programme. This will include selecting appropriate planters that support mental stimulation for dogs and mitigate plant theft which has also been reported as an issue. It is envisaged that a local programme can be implemented to sustain and support plant management.

How will it benefit the wider community?

The proposed dividing fence will enable visiting dog owners to make an informed choice, particularly those with smaller dogs or those being trained. We hope that by dividing the area supported by education will steer and discourage owners from using spaces where dogs are not permitted to be off lead. The addition of planters with the sensory garden will also support this and provide stimulation for all dogs. Ensuring that all owners are responsible, and their dogs are socialised will further give reassurance to all visitors to the gardens and the local area.

Veolia Environmental Ltd have provisionally agreed to fund these proposed changes through their sustainability fund that supports local community projects. The lead time for the works would be approximately 4 to 6 weeks. It is likely the new fence and planting would begin around March/April, weather permitting, to support any seeding required for grass growth following the works.

What happens next

Thank you for sharing your views on the proposals. The outcome of this consultation can be found on the next page.

For any site-specific questions please contact our parks team at parks@westminster.gov.uk

For any animal welfare or dog control queries please contact us at animalwelfare@westminster.gov.uk

Consultation description

The enclosed dog run area is a popular location for local resident dog owners, as it provides a dedicated area where dogs can be let off lead. It also acts as a communal meeting space for owners.

Most of the dog owners who use the space are responsible and ensure their dogs display sociable behaviour. However, we continue to receive complaints about dogs not under the control of their owners. This has resulted in some smaller dogs needing veterinary treatment, and meant some owners are often reluctant to use the space.

In response to this, and having secured funding from Veolia’s sustainability fund, we are asking residents for their opinions and feedback that will inform whether we introduces a dividing fence and additional sensory planters. In our consultation we have proposed several ways, designed to be as simple as possible, to allow residents to give their opinions.

We are proposing to install a dividing fence inside the dog run area and introduce a sensory garden in planters. This will:

1. provide reassurance and give all owners an informed choice on choosing locations where they’d like to exercise their dogs off lead
2. divide the space to maximise the number of owners able to use the area at any one time, using the two entrances
3. introduce a sensory garden in planters where all dogs can benefit from located plants designed to calm and provide mental stimulation for their dogs

View a mock-up of the proposals:

Document

Queen's Park proposed dog run planPDF, 1.03 MB, 2 pages

Frequently asked questions

Will dividing the dog run area affect current dog control measures?

No, the proposals will not affect the current dog controls under public spaces protection orders that are in place throughout Queen’s Park. Officers with delegated powers can still instruct owners within the dog run area to leash their dogs but having 2 spaces will reduce the risk of incidents.

How will planting help irresponsible ownership?

Dogs use their noses to sense mood and behaviour, and their strength of smell is a well proven science. Introducing a sensory garden for dogs will provide calming plants across both spaces that help reduce anxiety and distress in dogs. Selected plants such as hops, lavender, and marigolds can calm hyperactive dogs during seasonal periods and provide mental stimulation too. We will work with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (BDCH) and the local community to select the correct plants that provide all year-round benefits for visiting dog enrichment.  

How will the planters be managed?

Council officers will work with the parks team and the local community to select and manage a planting and maintenance programme. This will include selecting appropriate planters that support mental stimulation for dogs and mitigate plant theft which has also been reported as an issue. It is envisaged that a local programme can be implemented to sustain and support plant management.

How will it benefit the wider community?

The proposed dividing fence will enable visiting dog owners to make an informed choice, particularly those with smaller dogs or those being trained. We hope that by dividing the area supported by education will steer and discourage owners from using spaces where dogs are not permitted to be off lead. The addition of planters with the sensory garden will also support this and provide stimulation for all dogs. Ensuring that all owners are responsible, and their dogs are socialised will further give reassurance to all visitors to the gardens and the local area.

Veolia Environmental Ltd have provisionally agreed to fund these proposed changes through their sustainability fund that supports local community projects. The lead time for the works would be approximately 4 to 6 weeks. It is likely the new fence and planting would begin around March/April, weather permitting, to support any seeding required for grass growth following the works.

What happens next

Thank you for sharing your views on the proposals. The outcome of this consultation can be found on the next page.

For any site-specific questions please contact our parks team at parks@westminster.gov.uk

For any animal welfare or dog control queries please contact us at animalwelfare@westminster.gov.uk

YOU SAID, WE DID

Opinions on dog related themes in Westminster

We asked residents for their broader opinions on other dog related areas such as control and ownership based on their experience as dog owners/non dog owners, of both living and working in Westminster, and around the frequency they visited QPG.

You said

• 66% of respondents live in Westminster, with 24% of those both living and working here.
• 10% of those neither lived nor worked in Westminster, perhaps highlighting the shared open spaces between the nearby boundary of Brent.
• 73% were dog owners, and 62% of all respondents visited QPG each day or several times a week.

We did

The survey and supporting communications sought to capture resident’s views on the dog run area in a collaborative way. This was principally to gauge their support in introducing a dividing fence and a sensory garden in planters, and to provide reassurance and choice to all dog owners. The consultation period was extended twice to allow further awareness raising through communications, and to clarify where funding would be sourced, and to facilitate the survey in hardcopy to residents who could not use the survey link. This was supported through the QPCC newsletter.

Dividing fence in the dog run

You said

66% of residents said that they supported introducing a dividing fence in the dog run.

Those who didn’t predominantly sited space and commented upon the issues around anti-social behaviour (ASB) of irresponsible dog owners. A small number mentioned the fence being too low, with 1 person saying it was fine as it was.

We did

Council officers have worked closely with our parks team and contractors to find the appropriate fencing that will mitigate these risks. All owners need to be responsible whether inside the run or walking their dogs on the street. There could be some confusion around dogs off lead in the dog run (owners can be instructed to leash their dogs if they can’t control them) and the council will do more education in conveying this through events and communication.

Sensory garden and planters

You said

75% of residents said that they supported the introduction of a sensory garden with planters.
Those who didn’t sited finance needed in other areas such as drainage, pathway repair and returning. A percentage did not support siting the behaviour of irresponsible dog owners as the reason. Interestingly, a small number said they would if the planters were for the dogs and didn’t encroach upon space.

We did

The funding secured has been provided through Veolia’s sustainability fund. We have been very clear in all our communications where the funding has originated, as we essentially had to ensure the fund would support the proposal at an early stage.

Westminster’s Parks team annually return this area and council officers will continue to work parks colleagues and all key stakeholders to ensure all dog owners are responsible. It is envisaged that planters will be attached to the fencing (and will therefore not impact space) and will support enrichment for dogs. Animal welfare officers have worked with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to understand how sensory gardens and enrichment can benefit dogs and desensitise aggression and assist socialisation

Responsible dog ownership

You said

We asked if users of the dog run knew that bagged dog waste can be put into any litterbin?
87% of owners were aware they could use any litterbin to dispose bagged dog waste, but 13% did not.

We did

Council officers want to work closer with key stakeholders to better facilitate and make it easier to dispose of dog waste through the provision of free bags, signage, and education. We have installed six new bins in recent months and will link in with local interventions that identify irresponsible owners and tackle this with legislation that supports compliance.

Dog control

You said

On a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the biggest problem, to what extent is dog control a problem in QPG?
Resident opinion on the extent of dog problems varied. 51% of respondents saw dog control as less of a problem, between 1 and 5, and 49% saw dog control as a very big problem in QPG.

We did

Our animal welfare team have been speaking to the QPCC in regard to dog related issues such as fouling and control issues with dogs off lead. Westminster is currently developing a citywide dog strategy to raise awareness, facilitate and make it easier for dog owners to do the right thing, whilst ensuring education to tackle irresponsible behaviour is supported. The city strategy will look to link and reinforce localised interventions with key stakeholders.

Other comments from residents around responsible dog ownership

• "It is a mud pit in there and only a few takes care of it or pick up poo, I think by having the opportunity to divide it with an open shut gate it would give people more opportunity to use it."
• "Thank you for working to make the park a better place."
• "The dog run is disgusting - muddy, bare, and cramped. I never use it. It would be great to have a nicer space to let dogs off lead."
• "The dog run gets terribly muddy, there should be adequate drainage, the path gets covered with mud as there are no drains along the edge of the path. Having the dog run on a slope means all the balls thrown, end up in the hedge with the risk of a dog getting injured by the hawthorn hedge."
• "I have a small dog and many times ago telling him to the dog park when there is a larger dog due to the number of incidences there with dogs getting injured or killed. I have spoken to numerous other dog owners that feel the same way. I would be hugely in favour of separating out the park into small and big dog sections to prevent incidents like these happening again."
• "In the winter the dog park gets very muddy, and this is compounded by the slope which makes it very slippery. Furthermore, the upper part of the slope is barely used (by dogs or people) with everyone sticking to the path or bottom bit of grass. Ideally it should be a flat space to maximise the usage."
• "Main issue is young men with large, aggressive dogs. Should really be banned from the dog park The dog park layout also needs to be revised. The fact it is a slope and is grass means that when it rains it becomes very muddy and not very usable. Maybe there is an option for a non-grass/soil surface or better drainage to stop this."
• "We need more spaces locally to exercise dogs - not less. Part of the problem with the dog exercise area in Queen's Park is it is far too small."
• "Also due to opening hours of the park in winter hours are very much reduced."
• "I have had occasions when other people's dogs have showing aggression to my dog also so people not cleaning up after their dogs."
• "Small dogs and big dogs should be in completely different spaces. As a small dog owner, I don't feel safe personally or for my dog when big dogs are in."
• "Could we have a sandpit for dog fouling? Similar to wormwood scrubs."
• "There are too many large out of control dogs using the dog run."
• "Most owners are not aware they can put dog bags in any bin, and they just put it behind trees."
• "Muzzle unsocial dogs in public places."
• "More small dog bins attached to lampposts around the avenues and more drastic fine measures to deter owners from not cleaning up after their dog."
• "Sensory garden!? You're having a laugh. Trees and a few plants would be great, but nothing that will cost too much money!"

Queen’s Park Dog Run – Dog Petition Response

Summary

A petition has been brought to the council by a resident of Queens Park, with 164 signatures, asking that Westminster City Council does not spend council taxpayer funds on a project to split the dog run area in Queens Park into two areas, along with associated dog friendly planting and dog exercise equipment.

Response 

The petition relates to asking that taxpayers funds collected by the council are not spent on the delivery of new infrastructure for the Queen’s Park dog run.

In this case funds from the council’s general budget has not been allocated to this proposed scheme.  

The animal welfare team which is part of the Council’s Environment team were successful in securing an external funding source (Veolia) which proposes to fully cover the costs of the works for the fencing and the dog friendly planting.  Further, the team have successfully secured the dog exercise equipment for free from working with our good partners at Battersea Dogs Home.

To view the full statement including the background of the petition please see Petition response document below.