The island’s General Services Committee has launched a survey on the current ban keeping dogs and horses off beaches from 1 June to 15 September, and whether certain beaches could be made dog-friendly all year round.
Ali Simmonds organised the protest back in July.
‘On the day we had more than 50 people turn up and it was nice to see others who are not dog owners there too,’ he said.
‘The survey is extremely gratifying, and I am very grateful to the committee for going ahead with the survey so they can get an idea of what it is that the public wants.
‘For the people who don’t want this to happen, I would say to them if we do get access, dog owners will do the utmost to ensure that there is no dog mess left, and that is something we all agree on, as we don’t want any comments coming back on us saying “we knew this was a bad idea”. We will look out for it as well as we don’t all want to be tarred with the same brush.’
Iain MacFarlane, chairman of the General Services Committee, said the committee agreed to seek community views in the light of the protest and social media polls and discussions on the topic.
‘This will enable the committee to make an informed decision on whether the current ban for dogs and horses during the summer months should be reviewed.
‘The information we have on file was collected over a decade ago, and so this survey is a great opportunity to seek the public’s view on something which is evidently a topic of interest, so I would encourage everyone to respond.’
The survey will run for three weeks. It can be completed online or physical copies are available from the Island Hall.
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