A byelaw that’s been in place since the mid 1990s, banning dogs from Ramsgate Harbour, is being removed.
The decision was taken last night (Thursday 16 December) at a meeting of full Council. Members were told that Byelaw 44 was introduced at the harbour in 1994 and bans anyone from bringing an animal, specifically dogs, into the harbour area.
When the byelaw was introduced, it’s believed that the issue of rabies played a large part in its introduction. Since then, the public health threat of rabies has reduced, with the introduction of pet passports, which allow dogs to be moved in and out of the country.
Feedback from harbour users indicates that the byelaw is not popular, and removing it will allow visitors from the UK to bring dogs into the harbour in the future.
Leader of the Council, Cllr. Bob Bayford, said: “It’s clear that this byelaw is past its sell-by date. It was introduced for a good reason, but that was nearly 20 years ago and things have changed a great deal since then. People now want to travel with their dogs and bring them into Ramsgate and we don’t want to stop them from doing that. With the annual Boat Show quickly approaching, we know that we’ll be asked about the situation with this byelaw and now we’ll be able to tell potential visitors that work is underway to remove it, so that we can then allow dogs into the harbour.”
To repeal the byelaw, the council has to give notice to the government and advertise what it plans to do.
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