CONTROVERSIAL plans to charge dog-walkers to exercise their pooches around the borough are still being developed.
In January, the News revealed Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) was looking to introduce licenses for dog-walking businesses so it could “ensure public spaces are not misused”.
These plans divided the local dog-walking community, with pet-sitting bosses split over whether the licenses would benefit businesses.
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Helen Farmer, who runs Arborfield Dog Walking Services but often walks her pups in Bracknell Forest, said: “I personally think this is just another way for Bracknell Council to make money.
“As long as dog walkers pick up after their dogs and have good recall with them, then I don’t see any reason for the council to be asking money from them.
“Dog walkers don’t earn a lot of money as it is and it’s just another money-making scheme.
“If this goes ahead I won’t walk the dogs in Bracknell again.”
Councillors questioned the practicality of the plans just days after they were revealed, as directors were quizzed over how the authority would police dog-walkers.
One BFC boss suggested park rangers could enforce the licenses and later told councillors the scheme was “not about income generation”, but instead about “cost avoidance”.
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Stephen Chown, Head of Parks and Countryside at BFC, claimed the plans were still being explored nine months after they were proposed.
He said: “We are currently exploring options around issuing licences to individuals operating dog walking businesses within the borough’s public parks.
“This would help establish good practices in the commercial dog-walking sector as well as ensuring a shared desire to take care of our public parks.
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“Officers have been surveying existing dog walking companies for feedback, and looking at how a potential scheme could operate, including drafting a code of practice and any potential costs.”
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