Dog Park at St Columb's Park

A new fenced-off pilot dog exercise area in St Columb’s Park today. This dedicated space is designed to allow dogs to safely exercise off leash.

The new facility covers an area of 1,880 square metres and has been subdivided with fencing to create two separate spaces for small and large dogs. This segregation addresses safety concerns regarding dog behaviour and potential conflicts, mirroring successful approaches in other council areas.

Council will use this pilot project to gather valuable data on usage levels and monitor for any issues such as fouling or incidents. The findings will inform future decisions, which could include whether it expands the number of dog exercise areas across the district and invests in facilities like dog agility courses.

The pilot allows Council to test  test the concept of a dedicated, fenced dog area within the context of our existing, generally flexible, dog control orders. The sspace is subdivided for small and large dogs to enhance safety and user experience, taking lessons from other successful models across NI.

Dog owners should adhere strictly to the rules posted at the facility, particularly regarding cleaning up after their dog, to enjoy  its success and consider rolling out similar facilities across the Council area.