Dog fouling reduced by more than 40 percent at Darlington's Baydale Beck

New route maps have been installed at Baydale Beck, off Coniscliffe Road in Darlington, to show where bins are placed along the route. It also features colour-coded routes which clearly mark the length of the walk and direct walkers to the nearest bins to dispose of their dogs’ waste.

Darlington Council has cooperated with the national charity Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy to take part in the Walk this Way programme and was one of 12 UK towns to unveil the new measures earlier this year.

Since its launch the Baydale Beck route has seen a 42 per cent decrease of bagged and unbagged dog fouling.

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Councillor Mike Renton, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “We’ve been monitoring the route and I’m pleased to say that there has been a distinct drop in the number of instances of dog poo – either bagged or otherwise – being left behind.

“Dog walkers and others using the route have also taken part in a survey to gather their comments, with the vast majority being really positive – many have said how much they enjoy the walk, the bins are more accessible and easier to find with the help of the new signs and they’ve found it to be a lot cleaner.

Cllr Mike Renton, Rachael Marley and dog warden Andy Wood at Walk this Way route (Image: Darlington Council)

“We’re delighted to be working with Dogs Trust and Keep Britain Tidy on this initiative and while we know that most dog owners are responsible and clean up after their pets, we’re hoping this initiative will help remind and encourage everyone to do their bit to keep our streets and green spaces clean for us all to enjoy.

“I’m also pleased to say Dogs Trust Darlington has also signed up to our DOGwatch group, in which we’re working with partners to promote responsible dog ownership across the borough so will be working with them on other initiatives in the future.”

In a recent survey carried out by Dogs Trust, 37.5 per cent of visitors agreed that Baydale Beck is more attractive, 45 per cent noticed a reduction in dog waste and a quarter had seen a decrease on general litter. Overall, 50 per cent think the area is a more fun and enjoyable place to be.

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