Dogs stay banned from Priory Park and Bishop's Palace Gardens to 2029, and every fenced play area joins the list from 16 October. What changes, and the fines.
Dogs will stay banned from Priory Park and Bishop’s Palace Gardens for another three years. Chichester District Council’s Cabinet renewed the district’s dog control rules on Tuesday 6 October. The new order runs from 16 October 2026 to 16 October 2029.
The rules are mostly unchanged. Two things are new:
- the rules now reach privately owned land that the public can walk on for free
- every fenced children’s play area is now a dog-free zone all year, including privately owned ones
The council announced the decision on the day of the meeting.
What the rules say
The order is a Public Spaces Protection Order, made under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It creates three offences, set out in the order itself:
- not picking up after your dog, anywhere open to the public in the district
- not putting your dog on a lead when an authorised officer tells you to. The lead can be up to 8 metres long
- taking a dog into an exclusion area
The first two apply to all land open to the air that the public can use, with or without payment. The one exception is Forestry Commission land.
Not having a bag is not a defence. The order says so directly. Registered blind people and some disabled people with trained assistance dogs are exempt.
Where dogs are not allowed
The exclusion areas are listed in Schedule 3 of the order:
| Area | When dogs are banned |
|---|---|
| Every children’s play area enclosed by a fence or gate | All year |
| Bishop’s Palace Gardens, Chichester | All year |
| Priory Park, Chichester | All year |
| Selsey beach and foreshore, groyne E26 to E33 | 1 May to 30 September |
Plans of each area are in the council’s appendix.
What it costs if you are caught
The council’s fines page sets the fixed penalty for not clearing up after a dog at £150. That drops to £100 if paid within 14 days.
There is no formal appeal against a fixed penalty notice. You can refuse to pay and let a court decide. The maximum fine on conviction for dog fouling is £1,000. The council does run an informal challenge process within 14 days.
Enforcement is now partly done by a private company. The Cabinet report says the contract costs the council nothing. The council gets back 20% of fixed penalty income, which by law must go on environmental improvements. The report does not name the company.
What people said
The consultation ran from 8 May to 5 June. It drew 1,249 responses, against 380 when the rules were last renewed in 2023.
Not everyone answered every question. Of those who did, according to the council’s summary of responses:
- picking up dog mess: 93% support (683 of 736)
- dogs on a lead when directed: 90% support (599 of 665)
- the summer ban on part of Selsey beach: 81% support (458 of 566)
- the year-round ban in play areas, Priory Park and Bishop’s Palace Gardens: 78% support (535 of 682)
That last question split people most. The summary says support for banning dogs from fenced play areas was strong, with very little opposition. The two city parks were another matter.
People who wanted dogs allowed in on leads made these points:
- responsible owners should not be penalised
- families with dogs are shut out
- the ban stops dog walkers completing the Walls Walk
- Chichester has little dog-friendly green space in the city centre
People who wanted the ban kept valued a rare dog-free place to sit, picnic and relax.
The most common theme across all the comments was enforcement. Respondents said the rules only work if officers are seen to use them. Many asked for the Selsey beach ban to be copied at Bracklesham, East Wittering, West Wittering and East Head. That has not been done.
Chichester Harbour: a future change
The council also asked whether dogs should be controlled in parts of Chichester Harbour to protect birds. This is not part of the new order.
The summary estimates that 80% to 85% of people who commented backed more controls. The most popular idea was dogs on leads in sensitive areas during nesting season. Few wanted a ban across the whole harbour.
Officers will keep working with Chichester Harbour Conservancy and Bird Aware Solent on bird protection. The Cabinet report says the evidence still needs reviewing, and any proposal would go out to consultation first.
What it means for you
- From 16 October, keep your dog out of every fenced play area in the district. That now includes play areas on private estates and land that is open to the public.
- Priory Park and Bishop’s Palace Gardens stay dog-free all year, even on a lead.
- Selsey beach between groynes E26 and E33 is dog-free from 1 May to 30 September.
- Always carry bags. Forgetting them is not a reasonable excuse under the order.
- If an officer tells you to put your dog on a lead, do it. Refusing is an offence.
You can report dog fouling or a dog control problem on the council’s website.
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