What are the rules about dogs being on leads in D & PR parks?

[TreacleRabbit]

Does anyone know what the rules are for Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye Park re: dogs being on leads?

I have checked the council websites and 'friend's of' websites, and nothing. I have seen the actual signs in Both parks re 'dogs must be on a short lead', but does that relate to the whole park, or just the area behind the sign?

Thanks for your help,

[TreacleRabbit]

I should have looked a bit harder:

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/assets/attach/2229/Composite_Dog_Ban_Byelaws.pdf

Although I'm not that much wiser after reading the byelaws. Looks like possibly:

1. dogs on leads only in the central landscaped areas, and

2. not at all in children's play areas?

[rendelharris]

I think for Dulwich Park they're allowed off the lead outside the perimeter road from the Court Lane gate round to the College Road gate (going clockwise) and have to be kept on a lead in all areas inside the perimeter road and around the sports pitches.

[chuff]

In Dulwich Park, dogs aren't allowed in the children's play areas or the tennis courts, they are fenced off so quite easy to stop if the gates are shut. They can be off lead on the grass outside the play areas though but not on the designated sports pitches when games are on. They are meant to be on a lead around the pond, in the American gardens and outside the cafe too and aren't allowed on the bridge by the pond.

I agree the signs are misleading as they're dotted about on the outside track and half way round the main road. The byelaws are the the best thing to follow.

There are new 5mph signs now at College road and Court Lane entrances for cyclists.

[johnie]

In Peckham Rye, just on a short lead inside the signs, but not at all in the picnic area and children's play area.

TreacleRabbit Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Does anyone know what the rules are for Dulwich

> Park and Peckham Rye Park re: dogs being on

> leads?

>

> I have checked the council websites and 'friend's

> of' websites, and nothing. I have seen the actual

> signs in Both parks re 'dogs must be on a short

> lead', but does that relate to the whole park, or

> just the area behind the sign?

>

> Thanks for your help,

[rendelharris]

chuff Wrote:

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> There are new 5mph signs now at College road and

> Court Lane entrances for cyclists.

Are there? Be interested to see how that will be enforced - on the roads, speed limits cannot be enforced against cyclists, indeed they don't apply to cyclists, as bicycles don't have speedometers. I would have thought "Cyclists please ride considerately and give way to pedestrians at all times" would be far more effective.

Any decent runner can easily exceed 10mph, will there be signs for them too?

[chuff]

The signs have a big 5 in a circle with the wording I think for cyclists to give way to pedestrians. There have been a few accidents with cyclists speeding round so I suppose it's to make it clear it's not a road as such.

Most cyclists there use common sense and slow down when people are about, it's the odd few that do as they please, just like the serial not picking up dog poo culprits and the litterers etc.

No idea how they expect to enforce it but most likely it will be other people shouting at speeding cyclists to slow down and directing them to the signs.

[TreacleRabbit]

Chuff - I'm not sure that's right (that dogs can be off lead on the lawns/grass just outside of the children's play areas.

The byelaw says dogs must be on lead for the 'central area' & sports pitches, and the Friend's map seems to show dogs being exercised (I presume off lead) only around the perimeter of the park eg outside the circle of those 'dogs must be kept on a short lead' signs.

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/assets/attach/2275/Dulwich_Park_Trail_2011.pdf

[chuff]

Are you referring to the two big areas of grass on the inside of the path? It's an odd one there, it's not specifically central around the pond or the cafe and the signs aren't nearby (though we have already noted that the signs aren't particularly well placed). It's probably quite hard to keep dogs that are off lead on the path, just next to those greens, off them. If they are indeed dogs on leads areas then they would be better off with a fence or a row of planting to separate them.