Dales Rangers Get Fixed Penalty Powers

Rangers Phil Richards and Richard Mainman pose with dog-fouling penalty notice.

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Rangers will be able to impose fixed penalty notices on litterers and irresponsible dog owners as part of a pilot scheme in the Lower Wharfedale area.

Craven District Council already has the power to issue fixed penalty notices of ￡75 to those who leave litter behind and ￡50 to dog owners who fail to clear up their pet's waste, with fines of up to ￡2,500 and ￡1,000 respectively if offenders are taken to court for non-payment. 

Now, two YDNPA Rangers will be trained to issue notices where appropriate. One of them, Phil Richards, comments:

“As Rangers we speak to many people during the course of a year about litter and dog mess and the vast majority are very co-operative and responsible in their attitudes. But, on occasions, we do experience problems with persistent dog fouling and with litter louts who leave their disposal barbeques and rubbish behind, particularly in Grass Wood and Loup Scar.

“We are hoping that having the power to issue fixed penalty notices ourselves will provide us with an additional and last-resort option for those thoughtless few who have such an impact on the National Park and spoil the enjoyment of others who love its special qualities.

“We think this is the first time a national park in England and a district council have joined forces to tackle these issues. We receive a number of complaints to the National Park Authority and generally, in the past, we have just had to pass these on to the district councils. This now gives us another option rather than just appealing to an individual’s conscience.

“Initially we will be doing one or two patrols with the environmental protection team then we will be out on our own.”

If the pilot scheme is a success, it may be extended to cover other areas of the Dales National Park.