A change in legislation today means that the maximum fixed penalty for breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) or Community Protection Notice (CPN) has increased from £100 to £500 in England and Wales.
These powers are not exclusively about dogs, but are relevant to dog owners because councils use PSPOs to enforce restrictions.
Dog topics include:
1. Dog fouling
2. Dog exclusion areas
3. Dogs on leads in designated areas
4. Dogs on leads when directed – Failing to put a dog on a lead when instructed by an authorised officer, even when not in a designated lead area.
These rules haven’t changed, but the maximum fixed penalty has increased from £100 to £500. Some designated areas have also changed.
This does not mean every dog-control fine will automatically be £500. Local authorities can set their own fixed penalties up to the new maximum.
Cornwall Council currently publishes a £100 fixed penalty for breaches of its dog-control orders. Cornwall has not announced an increase in this amount yet.
You should also be aware that the penalty may be higher when crossing a county border.
The maximum court fine for breaching a dog-control PSPO remains £1,000, which is separate from a fixed penalty notice.
The important distinction is that the government has increased the maximum permitted fixed penalty, but individual councils determine the amount charged within that limit.
