Safeguarding the Health & Safety of Children at Bu ryfields Recreation Gro und The Buryfields Recreation Ground is well used by Parishioners of Cradley & Storridge, and in particular by the residents of Buryfields and their immediate neighbours. Cradley & Storridge Parish Council are responsible for its safe upkeep and use, and this includes minimising the risks to children and adults using the area, from possible infection associated with dog faeces and from inappropriate dog behaviour/biting. Outlined below are a number of options to help reduce the risks from dogs at Buryfields. Each provides varying degrees of safety improvement for the children and adults using the area. We would like to hear your views and comments on the options we are considering, to help inform the Council’s decision making. The drawing overleaf illustrates how the Recreation Ground would be affected by each of the four options. Each option would be undertaken in conjunction with the Council establishing a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which could exclude dogs from particular areas and place other restrictions on them and their owners in using the Recreation Ground. A PSPO is legally enforceable and offending dog owners could be subject to fines. Option One: Exclude dogs from the whole of the Buryfields Recreation Ground. This app roach has been used at the Chapel Lane Recreation Ground where dogs have been excluded under established Byelaws. In the future their continued exclusion at Chapel Lane will be supported by a PSPO, so that there is a common system of enforcement in place across the Parish Council. Option Two: This option would allow dogs to enter an area adjacent to the Comm unity orchard. The area would be accessed from the path along the side of the Recreation Ground which runs down to th e stream, and not through the existing main access gate. The exact size of this dog only area can be varied dependent on people’s views about the amount of the general play/football are that should be used to support this option. This option could also include an area j ust inside the main access gate to the Recreation Ground, that could be fenced off to allow people with dogs to sit and socialise with the ir dogs as they meet with friends /neighbours and/or watch the children playing. This option could be considered a compromise which reduces the risks to children and adults using the Play Equipment and a slightly reduced general play/football area, while providing residents with a dedicated area where they can exercise their dogs and an area where they could still meet and sit with their friends and dogs to socialise. Under this option, the Council would apply for a PSPO to exclude dogs fro m the whole of the Recreation Ground and the Community Orchard, with the exception of the areas specifically fenced off for use by dog owners. The PSPO would also require dogs to be kept on a lead in the small seating area provided adjacent to the play a reas. Option Three: Divide the Recreation Ground with a fence across its ful l width, to separate the Adventure Play Equipment Area including the small children’s and younger persons’ swings, from th e general play/ football area and the Community Orchard area. This option would allow dogs to enter the general play/ football area. A PSPO would be used to exclude dogs from the area and equipment within the fencing and the Community Orchard area. Dogs would be allowed to access the general play/football area. Option Four: Provide specific fencing immediately around the Adventure Play Equipment Area and small children’s swings only. Under this option, the Council would apply for a PSPO to exclude dogs from the more compactly fenced Adventure Play Equipment Area and small children’s swings only and the Community Orchard. This option would allow dogs to enter the general play/football area only. Irrespective of the option eventually selected for implementation, the Council could also consider whether the PSPO should require any dogs accessing the Buryfields Recreation Ground under options Two Three or four, to be kept on a lead.