Westerly Ware - Trial Dog-Free Area

Overview

Background

Richmond Council and the Westerly Ware Association (WWA) have been working together to maintain and improve this local park.

In recent years, the park has become more popular with dog owners (and dog walkers), who value the safety of an enclosed space and the opportunity for both owners and dogs to meet with their friends. However, some other users have felt less able to enjoy the park due to the presence of large numbers of dogs and uncollected dog faeces.

The Council and WWA suggest that a fenced off area, free from dogs, could be a good way to share the space between those who enjoy the park with their dogs and those who tell us that the dogs prevent them from enjoying the park.

Proposal

We propose that a temporary chestnut paling fence be installed for a three-month trial period. We appreciate that the park is already a small space, and that a fence would have an aesthetic impact. However, this would allow us to see how the space would feel when divided, how the space on each side would be used, and how the curve of the fence would lie in relation to the landscape. A temporary fence would be less attractive than a permanent hoop-topped metal one, but it would allow us to test the idea.

The proposed outline of the fence is shown in the image found at the bottom of this page. This layout was chosen for the following reasons:

• The northern end of the park gets the most sunshine and is therefore most suitable for sitting and picnics
• The existing tarmac path provides easy access to the enclosure from the main entrance. There is also easy access to the playground via the path of the back of the tennis courts
• By extending the area across the top of the park, we can create a dog-free area from the north bank and the slightly wild area under and behind the large maple tree in the northeast corner. This will ensure that this area is free of uncollected dog faeces as it is very popular with young children
• A large, open area of the park is still available for dogs and their owners to enjoy

Next steps

This consultation is taking place to determine whether or not to proceed with a three-month trial fence over the summer. If the trial goes ahead, a second consultation will be carried out in the autumn to decide whether to then install a permanent fence.  

If you would like a paper copy of the questionnaire please contact consultation@richmond.gov.uk