A BAN on taking dogs on to the beach in Minehead in the summer months lapsed FOUR YEARS ago, the Free Press can reveal.

But seafront signs advertising the ban were left in place by the former Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT) to discourage dog owners.

The Free Press has discovered a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which prohibited dogs on the beach during the tourism season expired in 2019.

SWT did not go through the legal process of renewing the order, meaning dog owners were entitled to use the beach ever since.

Now, Somerset Council, which replaced SWT last month, has said it will in the autumn look at starting the process of establishing a new PSPO with a view to it being reintroduced in 2024.

The PSPO previously banned dogs between May and October each year when the numbers of visitors to West Somerset were at their highest.

Visit Minehead has been publicising the fact that the ban could no longer be enforced, but said: “For all who wish to use the beach to exercise dogs, please be responsible and pick up all mess and keep dogs under control, particularly when the beach is busy.”

Somerset Council said this week that signage in Minehead relating to dog bans on beach areas would shortly be covered over, although reminders about dog fouling and picking up would remain visible. 

A spokeswoman said: “We encourage all dog walkers, regardless of wherever dogs are exercised, to be responsible, pick up, and dispose of dog poo.

“If dog bins are full, it is acceptable to put sealed bags into litter bins.”

The spokeswoman said the council would also carry out a survey of residents, businesses, and visitors during the summer.

She said the results would inform a new PSPO consultation later in the year regarding the potential reinstatement of the dog ban on parts of Minehead beach as well as the other aspects of the order.

“This survey will take into account and balance all aspects of beach use by the many different users of the beach, including holidaymakers with small children, residents, beach safety, businesses, and the local economy,” she said.

The council wants to align any new ban with a PSPO in Burnham-on-Sea, where a similar order will be up for renewal in December.

PSPOs last for three years and give local authorities powers to prohibit specified activities and/or require certain things to be done by people engaged in particular activities within defined public areas.

With reference to dogs, PSPOs usually cover