Dog owners call day of action against plan (From Thisisdorset)

Dog owners call day of action against plan

7:54pm Wednesday 8th October 2008

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DOG owners have turned up the heat in their battle against plans they fear could see them barred from parts of the New Forest.

National Park bosses have introduced the idea of creating a number of "dog free car parks" in a bid to protect rare, ground-nesting birds and livestock.

But members of New Forest Dog Owners Group have vowed to fight the proposal and are staging a day of action on Sunday to make their voices heard.

And with days to go before the meeting at Brockenhurst Village Hall, protesters have demanded more information on the controversial scheme.

Their spokesman, David Dickenson, said: "Beyond eight words, there is nothing in this 83-page report that gives a clue to what this means. Nor is there a shred of evidence to prove that such a move is necessary.

"We can only assume that the aim is to side-step our right to open access and make recreation across large parts of the Forest impossible for most people.

"We are being asked to sign up to an open-ended proposal that could eventually lead to a complete ban on dog walkers, which is what has happened already in some continental national parks."

The scheme is part of a massive set of blueprints for the future of the New Forest produced by the National Park Authority (NPA).

The equestrian community is also up-in-arms over proposals to tighten restrictions on keeping horses for recreational use.

But New Forest NPA has said nothing has been decided and that it is willing to listen to all concerns before public consultation ends on October 31.

A statement said: "The authority has no intention of banning dogs from the New Forest and this is certainly not proposed in the strategy.

"But if dogs are not kept under control they can disturb ground-nesting birds, worry livestock and cause a public health issue through fouling."

The meeting is taking place from 10am onwards at Brocke-nhurst Village Hall on Sunday.

New Forest MPs Desmond Swayne and Julian Lewis have vowed to attend as well as the NPA's director of recreation, Stephen Trotter.

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