A councillor has called for Ceredigion County Council to consider outsourcing dog fouling enforcement to finally clean the mess on Aberystwyth promenade and other seaside towns and villages.  

Town councillor Mair Benjamin raised the long-running issue once again in a meeting of Aberystwyth Town Council last week.  

Councillors raised that Pembrokeshire County Council is planning to outsource the responsibility which is aimed at improving enforcement and creating a greater deterrent to those who leave dog mess.  

Plaid Cymru leader on Pembrokeshire County Council Cllr Rhys Sinnett told the Cambrian News the contract to enforce all manner of environmental crimes - including littering and fly tipping as well as dog fouling – is still out to tender for a few weeks yet. 

Cllr Benjamin spoke to the Cambrian News last week about the issue and said despite efforts to promote Aberystwyth as an ‘elegant waterfront town’, its reputation is being ruined by dog poo, gravel from the beach, badly maintained buildings, unfinished public works and potholes. 

The county council has this week cleared the shingle from the beach which had taken up the walkways on the promenade for some weeks.  

But Cllr Benjamin is still appealing for a lasting solution to dog fouling and called on Ceredigion County Council to be as proactive as its counterpart in Pembrokeshire – and examine the benefits of such an outsourcing arrangement.  

She told the Cambrian News: “Yes, I do think the county council should look at what they’re doing in Pembrokeshire - it's getting so bad that we must be doing something. 

“We’ve got to get things moving and clean our jewel the Promenade. 

“Or are we going to be in this position year after year? Aberystwyth relies on the seafront for our tourists. 

“Let's try and get this town tidy.” 

Cllr Sinnett said reducing dog fouling and identifying ‘hotspots’ in Pembrokeshire’s picturesque tourist-attracting towns and villages was one of the priorities when opting to outsource. He said the costs of outsourcing would be far less significant than hiring officers to carry out enforcement – and would make a more holistic approach possible in such a large county.  

“The benefit of us tendering it out is that the risk is shared and reduced therefore for the council. 

“We don’t have to employ a big team of officers in the current challenging financial situation.  

“The company will be able to keep most of the money it makes from issuing fixed penalty notices – so there is an incentive for them to be very proactive.  

“What we’ve found with internal services in council areas is that there’s a focus on the educational end and give warnings because there’s less pressure to generate income.  

“So, we’re trying to foster a pride in place with this and send a message that those who don’t pick up after their dogs are in a small minority but have a significant effect on people’s quality of life – and need to be deterred.” 

A county council spokesperson said: "Ceredigion County Council, like our colleagues in Pembrokeshire, have concentrated our efforts to foster a pride of place across our county and to encourage all dog owners to clean up after their dogs.

"Most dog owners are responsible people, although we are aware that a small minority are not.

"However, the council receives relatively small numbers of complaints about dog fouling, and there is currently little justification to spend council tax payers money commissioning an outside company to undertake this task.

"Many local authorities that have commissioned external firms to police dog fouling can receive complaints from dog owners about the activities of some companies as they seek to maximise their income through issuing fixed penalty notices.

"The Local Authority would urge members of the public to report dog fouling through our Clic contact centre on 01545 570 881 and provide witness statements to our staff.

"Alternatively, Aberystwyth Town Council may prefer to procure an external contractor at their own cost to provide dog fouling enforcement to help them address their local concerns.

"The council would carefully consider any request to provide the town council with the necessary enforcement powers."