A new crackdown on dog fouling in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge has been launched.
As part of Litter Free Coast and Sea Somerset’s dog fouling campaign, local survey work is being undertaken by volunteers and the local council in and around Burnham and Highbridge.
Emily Wordley from Litter Free Coast and Sea Somerset explains the importance in tackling this anti-social issue: “It’s not just because dog poo is unsightly, but as a risk to human health, local bathing water quality and the environment if not disposed of correctly,” she says.
Lorna Williams, deputy town clerk at Burnham and Highbridge Town Council, adds: “The council receives regular complaints regarding dog fouling.”
“The aims of this campaign are quite simple: to encourage the many responsible dog owners to continue what they are doing, and to make the irresponsible minority think about their failure to pick up their dog’s mess and hopefully change their ways.”
Over 15 sites are being monitored locally over a five-week period. Volunteers are counting the number of dog fouling incidents (bagged and unbagged) at every site before coordinating with Sedgemoor District Council to clear the areas each week.
Emy adds: “Three weeks into the survey period, this week marks the start of our spraying and stencilling work. At each site, dog poo is either sprayed with a bright chalk-based spray on top of the dog poo to highlight the mess that has not been picked up, or a stencil is sprayed along a survey transect to remind dog owners to pick up after their dog before entering or leaving the site.”
One of the local volunteers explains the importance of the survey work: “By spraying I hope to highlight the large number of dog fouling incidents to remind dog owners that it is not going unnoticed. Raising awareness of the issue, I hope to see a decline in the number of incidents over time.”
Results from each site are being recorded and evaluated by the group and council, which will be shared in a few weeks’ time.
Dog owners are being encouraged to to take dog poo bags with them when taking their dog out for a walk, keeping an eye on their dogs at all times, and use bins to dispose of their dog poo correctly.
To become a Somerset Poo Fighter or if you know areas that would benefit from a poo fighter, email litterfreesomerset@gmail.com or the Town Council at info@burnham-highbridge-tc.gov.uk.
Litter Free Coast and Sea Somerset is the flagship project of the Severn Estuary Partnership, hosted by Cardiff University. The project was set up in 2016, with support from Wessex Water, the Environment Agency, Sedgemoor District Council and Cardiff University.
The community-led campaign is designed to protect bathing water quality and reduce levels of beach and marine litter along Somerset’s coastline.
