September 9, 2020 2.27 pm This story is over 42 months old

DogGate: Residents bark back over council decision

Walkers used the park to let their dogs roam
Residents are calling for the gate to be put back.

A decision to remove a gate from a North Hykeham park in a bid to encourage dog walkers to act more responsibly has hit a ruff patch with users.

North Hykeham Town Council’s Estates Committee voted to remove one of the entrances to Glebe Park following a series of complaints.

However, residents said the move means the field is “no longer secure”.

A petition has been launched to have the gate reinstated and has already had more than 100 signatures.

North Hykeham councillor Stephen Roe took to Facebook to explain the decision.

“A few years ago the council paid to put a fence around Glebe Park with a gate at the Ripley Road end and another down the side of the Lincoln Green, this made the park ideal for people with dogs to let them run free,” he said.

“Unfortunately over the last year or two problems have started to arise because of the number of people bringing dogs to the park.

Issues included owners not paying enough attention to their dogs’ behaviour, poor parking and drive blocking on Ripley Drive, abuse towards residents and a large increase in poo being left behind.

“The council started getting requests to address these problems and it was thought that if the gate at the Ripley Drive end was removed for a trial period it might encourage the dog owners to take more notice and control of their dogs,” said Councillor Roe.

North Hykeham Councillor Stephen Roe.

Commenters on Facebook criticised the decision and argued that the majority of people did comply with the rules and behaved responsibly.

Susan Whapshott described it as “totally over the top”.

Kathryn Archer, who started the online petition to have the gate reinstated, said: “Glebe Park has always been a secure field and is a popular place for dog walkers for this exact reason.

“The field is no longer secure and goes straight out into the street.

“This is a park that we visit on a daily basis with our dogs as do so many others, as it is a lovely experience for all the dogs getting to know each other, having a run around together and burning of much needed energy.”

However, others agreed with the decision. Vincent Gilman-Abell said the park was the “worst in Hykeham”.

The council’s next meeting in October will examine whether the move has been successful or not.