Warning as beach dog bans end for another year
Cornwall Council is reminding owners to act responsibly and pick up after their pets
Last updated 1st Oct 2022
With the nights drawing in and leaves starting to drop from the trees, the number of Cornish beaches with restrictions on when you can exercise your dog will also fall. A number of beaches with restrictions saw these end for another season on Friday.
Cornwall Council has a number of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) in place which limit when dogs can be taken on some beaches. While most restrictions operate from July 1st to August 31st, those which have Blue Flag status run from May 15th to September 30th.
The restrictions only prevent dogs being taken onto those beaches affected from 10am - 6pm but from 30th September, those limits came to an end until next year.
Beaches where restrictions just ended
Carbis Bay Beach
Crackington Haven
Crooklets Beach, Bude
Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth
Polzeath Beach
Porth Beach
Porthmeor Beach, St Ives
Porthminster Beach, St Ives
Porthtowan Beach
Sennen Beach
Trevone Beach, Padstow
Widemouth Beach, Bude
Beaches where restrictions have already ended
All other beaches covered by PSPOs set by the council are also now fully open to dogs after restrictions ended on August 31.
These are:
Cadgwith Cove
Castle Beach, Falmouth
Cawsand Beach
Chapel Porth Beach, St Agnes
Church Cove, Gunwalloe
Harveys Towans – Godrevy Point, Hayle
Housel Bay, The Lizard
Kennack Sands, The Lizard
Kynance Cove, The Lizard
Mousehole Beach to Skilly Beach
Wherry Town to Battery Rocks, Penzance
Longrock level crossing to Marazion
Perranuthnoe
Poldhu Beach, Mullion
Polurrian Cove, Mullion
Porthcurno Beach
Porthgwarra Beach, St Levan
Porthgwidden Beach, St Ives
Porthleven West
Porthpean Beach, St Austell
Portmellon Cove, Mevagissey
Portreath Beach, including harbour
Praa Sands
Readymoney Cove, Fowey
St George’s Well, Padstow
St Ives Harbour Beach
Summer’s Beach, St Mawes
Swanpool Beach, Falmouth
Tattam’s Beach, Portscatho
Tunnel Beach, Falmouth.
Beaches with all-year round bans
There are also some beaches which have all-year round, 24-hour bans set by the council. These are:
Carnsew Pool
Copperhouse Pool
Hayle Estuary
Warning from Cornwall Council
Cornwall Council has reminded dog owners that even though beach restrictions have ended for another year they still need to act responsibly when taking their dogs to the coast.
Enforcement officers can still issue fixed penalty notices to owners who fail to pick up their dogs’ mess on beaches.
Martyn Alvey, Cabinet member for environment, said: "As always we ask that people take responsibility for their pets at all times. This means picking up their mess and keeping them under control.
"Our enforcement officers do not always wear uniforms so you may not see them but be assured they do patrol many public places and if you don’t pick up after your dog, you may well be issued with a £100 fixed penalty notice.
"We want our beaches to be a safe place where everyone can enjoy themselves and dog owners must respect those around them.
"Unfortunately, every year we hear about dogs that have fallen from cliffs and I remind people to make sure they put their pets on leads, especially near dangerous edges".
Cornwall Council is also currently undertaking consultation about the PSPOs which are in place to restrict when dogs can go to beaches. To take part in the consultation and give your views, visit the Let's Talk website.
All responses to the consultation need to be received by November 28th and will be used to inform the council's decisions for PSPOs in 2023/25.