Hillingdon Council is tightening its rules for dog walkers, with a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) coming into force on 1 May 2025. The updated order imposes several offences for dog walkers, including restrictions on the number of dogs a person can walk at one time and the failure to remove dog faeces. The PSPO aims to ensure responsible dog ownership and maintain the cleanliness and safety of public spaces within the borough.

The PSPO covers all public places and housing communal areas within the Borough Wide Restricted Area, Green Spaces and Parks, and public places in the Uxbridge, Hayes and Ruislip Town Centres Restricted Area. Maps of these areas can be found in Appendix C.

The Residents' Services Select Committee discussed the updated PSPO at their meeting on Tuesday 15 July 2025. The PSPO imposes the following offences:

  • A person in sole charge of more than four dogs in a public space without a dog walkers licence.
  • A person in sole charge of more than six dogs in a public space with a dog walkers licence.
  • A person in charge of a dog that defecates on land within the 'restricted area' and fails to remove the faeces.

The 'restricted areas' are defined as land protected by the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. This includes Borough Wide Restricted Areas, Green Spaces/Open Spaces, and Uxbridge, Hayes and Ruislip Town Centres. See Appendix C - PSPO for detailed maps of these areas.

The full PSPO can be found at Appendix C.

The council's Environmental Enforcement Team is responsible for dealing with offences under the PSPO by issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). According to a report, the team received 82 complaints regarding dogs last year and issued two FPNs. The team addresses these issues by installing signage in the area of concern and increasing patrols. Officers will issue FPNs if they witness offences. For breaches of the PSPO, an authorised officer may issue a FPN with a maximum fine of £100, offering the person the opportunity to discharge any liability to conviction for the offence by payment of a fixed penalty to the Council within 14 days.

The council also has a voluntary professional dog walking licence scheme. Under the scheme, people who are paid to walk dogs need to be registered with the council. The scheme aims to maintain the environment and support the upkeep of parks through the effective management of commercial dog walking. Licence holders are subject to conditions and codes of conduct. There is a restriction on walking more than six dogs at a time in Hillingdon's green spaces. Those operating without a licence could face a fine of up to £100. Since the scheme started in 2019, the Licensing Team has issued 106 dog walking licences.

While licence holders are subject to conditions and codes of conduct, the specific details of these are not detailed in the provided text.