Dog walkers encouraged to walk this way
Northampton dog walkers are being encouraged to clear up after their pets with the help of a ‘Walk this way’ trail in Bradlaugh Fields.
The trail, which opened on Thursday, 30 August, follows a popular 2km dog walking route around the fields. And sees dog walkers passing a total of nine bins where they can deposit bagged dog mess, keeping the space clean and safe for other users to enjoy.
The route is well sign posted with ‘Walk this way’ signs and an additional 4km route will be developed with the help of local dog walkers, who can send in their route suggestions to forums@northampton.gov.uk
The ‘Walk this way’ initiative is being introduced in Bradlaugh Fields in partnership with the Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy and aims to reduce the amount of dog waste left in public spaces.
The Northampton route is one of 18 new sites being unveiled in the UK following a pilot of the initiative last year and will be sign posted in the fields over the next four weeks.
Cllr Anna King, Cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: “We’re pleased to be working with the Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy to introduce the ‘Walk this way’ initiative in Northampton.
“The aim of the walking route encourages people to be responsible dog owners and to also have pride in our town by keeping our beautiful parks clean and safe, in line with the Public Spaces Protection Orders which were implemented in areas of the town earlier this year.
“We look forward to seeing people use the route and hope that they install long term behaviour changes which will benefit our town now and in the future.
Lee Paris, Dogs Trust Senior Campaigns Officer, said: “Part of being a responsible dog owner is ensuring you pick up after your dog and suitably dispose of the waste. Last year’s pilot showed that by having more bins available, clearer signposting and messaging that ‘Any Bin Is A Win’ has dramatically improved the surrounding areas.
“We’re excited by the potential of our new Walk this Way routes and can’t wait to see the improvements it will make. Hopefully it will be a long-term change to the area and make the space more enjoyable for everyone.”
Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “Contrary to what some people seem to think, there is, in fact, no such thing as the dog poo fairy who will come along and remove their bagged dog poo. The responsibility is on the owner.
“The Walk this Way approach has led to a marked reduction in the amount of bagged poo littering parks and we’re keen to see if this success can be mirrored in even more sites this year.”