ABERAVON: RSPCA urges ‘greater flexibility’ over beach dog rules, but Blue Flag hopes demand a full ban

RSPCA Cymru is urging councils across Wales to give dog owners “greater flexibility” on and around beaches, as Neath Port Talbot weighs tighter rules for the Aberavon seafront.

The charity has formally responded to the council’s consultation, which proposes renewing the Public Spaces Protection Order excluding dogs from large parts of Aberavon Beach between 1 May and 30 September, extending it to 2030.

The council also asked for views on requiring dogs to be kept on leads along Aberavon Promenade all year round, rather than only through the summer months, as we reported when the consultation launched in June.

That consultation closed on 24 August, and the council has yet to announce its decision.

Billie-Jade Thomas, the RSPCA’s senior public affairs manager, said: “Dog restrictions are an emotive issue in communities across Wales, so it is important that the views of everyone, including local dog owners and welfare experts, are heard loud and clear.

“We would always urge any council to closely consider whether a PSPO is always needed to achieve their aims of protecting human health.”

She said councils should offer greater flexibility “especially in terms of blanket exclusions and year-round measures”, which she said “risks punishing responsible dog owners for the actions of the less responsible, while potentially creating less spaces for dogs to exercise and express their natural behaviours”.

“Responsible dog owners need to walk their dogs all year round, and we’ll keep working with local authorities across Wales to help find more positive ways forward,” she said, suggesting leads on beaches during busy months and seasonal measures instead of year-round bans.

The charity’s flexibility ask, though, runs straight into the council’s environmental ambitions for the beach.

Aberavon holds a Seaside Award, the only beach in Neath Port Talbot to do so, and the council has set its sights on the more prestigious Blue Flag status.

The council has said Keep Wales Tidy confirmed a full dog restriction is required to meet Blue Flag standards, meaning a timed restriction, such as 9am to 6pm as some residents suggested, would not be possible.

Roughly half the beach currently faces restrictions, with the other half dog-friendly. Launching the consultation, Cllr Cen Phillips said the aim was to “strike the right balance between maintaining a safe, clean and welcoming environment for everyone, while also recognising and balancing the needs of responsible dog owners”.

The PSPOs at Aberavon have been in place since 2017 and must be reviewed every three years, giving the council powers over dog fouling and access to public spaces.

The Aberavon plans form part of a pattern the charity is watching across Wales: a similar consultation in Conwy would make part of Rhos on Sea beach a permanent dog exclusion zone, reviving plans shelved after a backlash in 2023, and the RSPCA says it is “disappointed” they have returned. Conwy residents have until Friday to respond.

The charity has also co-launched a Dog Ownership Guide advising owners on responsible dog ownership, which it says councils can promote alongside any restrictions.