Town's clean-up scheme may be extended across district

The Upper Valley Safer Cleaner Greener team is piloting the plan which aims to produce a workable model that can be rolled out across the borough.

Based on the PEET approach, the plan uses prevention, education, engagement and taking enforcement action to tackle the problem.

The Canal Improvement Group in Todmorden has been working on raising awareness and taking action by holding a Super Scoop (Stop Contamination on our Paths) campaign which included a clean-up day last month on the canal towpath in Todmorden.

The group aimed to raise awareness of the level of the problem on the towpath, flag sites fouled by dogs and speak with dog walkers and others using the towpath about the need to clean up and dispose of dog waste in bins.

An update on what is being done to tackle the problem, which will be presented to Calderdale Council's scrutiny panel this week, says that the PEET pilot action plan being used in Todmorden appears to be making a difference and is hoped to prove to be a model which can be rolled out across Calderdale.

The report says data shows there has been a drop in the number of reports of dog fouling to the council's Environmental Health Services in the last year, and supports a national trend of reducing in overall levels of dog fouling since 2001/02.

But it adds that this "does not decrease the significant offence and public health issues caused by dog fouling for members of the public" or reflect the anecdotal evidence of "increasing concern" about dog fouling related to council services and partners.

The report says members of the the public continually tells ward forums and Police and Community Together meetings, that dog fouling is one of the biggest local concerns.

Scrutiny panel chair Councillor Colin Stout said: "Calderdale residents have told us that they are concerned about the problem of dog fouling and would like more to be done to address it.

"It is important that we work with our partners to do all we can and build upon the good work taking place in Todmorden to improve prevention, education, engagement and enforcement across Calderdale."