Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge town councillors have this week agreed to direct more funding into a scheme to provide dog poo bag dispensers in a bid to reduce dog fouling across the towns.
As Burnham-On-Sea.com first reported here, seven dog poo bag dispensers have been installed across Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge this year by the Town Council in an effort to reduce fouling of public areas.
The initiative was inspired by 10 year-old schoolgirl Ivy Meager, who installed her own home-made dog poo bag dispensers along footpaths in Burnham in January, below.
At a meeting of the Town Council’s Town Improvements Committee this week, councillors considered whether to earmark more funds to providing the bags for the dispensers. A total of £344.63 has been spent so far on 10,400 bags since July.
Cllr Phil Harvey said: “It was my suggestion that the Town Council decide to experiment with these and, apart from one case where someone is deciding that they are a useful source of bags, it seems to be going quite well. The dog waste bins have contained many of these bags, so they are being used. I think it’s well worthwhile continuing.”
Cllr Peter Clayton said: “Whilst there is some demand, there’s not a massive demand for them, but I think that may be an information issue – we need to get the message out that these are available.”
Cllr Andy Hodge added: “It’s a well-intended concept, but I think there has to be a limit here. I have dogs and I always take bags with me and clean up after my dogs. I would imagine that this scheme is there to provide bags for those people who forget, and I think there could be a danger here that we end up promoting ‘laziness’, where people take it for granted, and they go out with no bags and run into trouble if there are no bags in the dispensers. I think it needs to be explained that these dispeners are there for people who forget, not for normal use.”
It was agreed by councillors that the Town Council would proceed with the purchase of a supply of bags for each of the dispensers per week and that the usage would be monitored over the coming year.
Locations of seven new poo bag dispensers:
- 1. Burnham High Street – On post next to fountain
- 2. Burnham High Street/Victoria Street – On Raised flower bed by bike rack opposite Victoria Pub
- 3. Burnham’s South Esplanade on Post by floodgate as you enter river footpath
- 4. Highbridge’s Bank Street/ Southwell Gardens – on post as you walk into park by St John Ambulance building
- 5. Highbridge’s Apex Park – next to dog waste bin Parson Road entrance
- 6. Burnham’s Manor Gardens – Main vehicle entrance from Manor Road on post
- 7. Burnham’s Rear Path Manor Gardens past Cemetery – Next to dog bin accessed via path from St Johns Road.
Two of the seven dispensers were kindly donated by the Royal Clarence Hotel.
