An order banning dogs from areas has been extended for three years.

The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which was put in place by Chichester District Council in 2020, covers Priory Park, Bishop’s Palace Gardens and parts of the beach at Selsey during the summer months and fenced children’s play areas.

The decision to expand the PSPO to 2026 was made during a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (September 5).

As well as banning dogs from certain areas, the PSPO makes it an offence not to clean up your dog’s mess, and an offence not to put your dog on a lead when told to do so by an authorised officer.

Anyone caught breaching the rules can be served with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100, reduced to £75 if paid within 14 days.

Jonathan Brown, cabinet member for environmental strategy, told the meeting that 11 such notices were served during the first three years of the PSPO.

Some 380 people responded to a public consultation in the spring asking if they would like to see the scheme extended – and 329 of them said yes.

One commented: “I would say that the majority of dog owners that I meet are very responsible for their dogs and clearing up after them.

“However there are a few that are too busy socialising to notice that their dog has left a deposit and therefore fail to pick it up.

“An education campaign is needed to make people aware that when they are out with their dogs they need to watch them all of the time.”