RESIDENTS of a small village claim an order banning dogs from their local park has left them without a safe place to walk them.

Dozens of Hemyock dog walkers have now signed a petition calling for an ‘unfair’ restriction on dog walking at Longmead Recreation Ground to be waived.

The resident’s group said the ban had forced people to drive for miles and brave dangerous lanes in order to give their dogs a proper walk. In a statement submitted to Hemyock parish Council and Mid Devon District Council, they said: “We feel that local authorities are lately introducing blanket restrictions which are ineffective and impractical without considering the needs of dogs and their owners.

“Responsible dog owners and the wider community are left with the misery and burden that these restrictions bring, including poorer health and welfare for the dogs.”

The group also hit out at space being earmarked for the village’s football pitch and pavilion, which they branded an ‘unfair’ use of space.

The group added: “We also note that every piece of the village’s green space is now commandeered for the selective use of sports facilities only and their impetus behind the parish council’s proposals for the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is largely because of its commitment to the pitch and its accompanying extravagant pavilion.

“Hemyock Parish Council previously suggested we use the Hemyock Turbary or common for exercising dogs off the lead. This suggestion is impractical for many in the village as it is two miles away, along narrow country lanes with no lights or pavement which in itself is dangerous.”

Residents attended a meeting of Hemyock Parish Council on Wednesday, April 3, where they repeated their concerns, with the council committing to forming a working group to take another look at the issue. In a statement, a spokesperson for the council said: “The parish council had set up a working group consisting of members of the council and the public. This was to look at the issue and a compromise position that the lower end of the field could be fenced off to provide an area for dogs to be exercised off the lead, as well as being walked around the exterior of the field on leads was proposed. 

“The playing field is home to a number of youth and adult football teams and the health hazards of dog faeces are well documented.  The law requires that dog owners remove faeces and place them in the bins provided.

“Members of the public who were part of the dog walking working group were tasked with identifying funding to allow a fence to be erected at the lower end of the field given that the request was to the benefit of that group.

“The parish council has not been approached in the interim period of time by the group and, therefore, given representations made at the meeting on April 3, 2024, resolved to reinstate the Working Group consisting of members of the public and the Parish Council to once more look at the situation.”