Instow dog ban debate should be over already says Dog Walkers Alliance

THE Dog Walkers Alliance says the debate over dog controls on Instow beach should be over after the beach's owners ruled out their introduction by the parish council.

The debate appeared to have been settled last week when Raymond Caldwell, from the Christies Estate Trust, said "these proposals will not be going ahead".

However, parish council vice-chairman Michael Green said the matter is not closed, regardless of what the trust's position is.

"Christies do not own all of the beach," he said. "We control the central part of the beach as it's owned by the Crown and leased to the parish council. And it is the council's job to decide its own policy. We can introduce controls there if we decide it's appropriate."

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But that has not satisfied Joanne Bell, who organised the initial meeting of the Dog Walkers Alliance on Instow Beach at the end of January.

Mrs Bell, who lives in nearby West Yelland, said she will be going to the parish council's meeting in Instow tonight to see what the council has to say.

Mrs Bell said: "I am exceedingly grateful to Raymond Caldwell for bringing commonsense to this whole unnecessary debacle.

"As soon as the council received Mr Caldwell's letter the dog ban meeting should have been abandoned."

Mr Green was reluctant to say much more ahead of the parish council meeting.

"There was a lot of interest last week," he said. "And it's no secret there's a wide disparity of views.

"I suppose it's a fairly evenly balanced argument and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to say more ahead of our meeting.

"But one of two things will happen; either we'll make a decision to move ahead or defer any decision to further investigate the matter."