A Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) is now in force at six Council owned cemeteries in Bath and North East Somerset, governing the behaviour of dogs and dog owners in council-owned cemeteries within Bath and North East Somerset.
Why and how we make PSPOs
PSPOs are set up to help prevent anti-social behaviour, or situations which may lead to harassment, alarm, distress, crime or disorder in restricted areas. A PSPO places a restriction on certain activities in a particular public space.
Read more about our duties in relation to PSPOs
We have the power to set PSPOs, under the terms of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, 2014. We must comply with these regulations to issue and enforce these orders:
- To consult the public on any proposal to make, change or extend a PSPO.
- To put up notices in the area where the PSPO applies, clearly showing what the restrictions are, when they apply, and the penalty for breaking the order.
- To publish details of the PSPOs which are in force on our website.
The PSPO restrictions at cemeteries
We have introduced two formal rules, enforceable by fines, which will require owners to:
- owners must keep dogs on leads no longer than 2m
- owners must pick up and dispose of dog fouling
View the PSPO order documentation
Where the PSPO is in effect
The PSPO applies to six cemeteries in Bath and North East Somerset:
Address:
Harptree Cemetery,
West Harptree Road,
East Harptree,
BS40 6BQ
Address:
St. Michael’s Cemetery,
St. Michael’s Road,
Lower Weston,
Bath,
BA1 3BJ
Address:
Smallcombe Cemetery,
6 Widcombe Hill,
Bath,
BA2 6DD
Address:
St. James' Cemetery,
Lower Bristol Road,
Bath,
BA2 3BQ
Address:
Twerton Cemetery,
Bellotts Road,
Bath,
BA2 3RT
PSPO enforcement
Where an Authorised Officer requires someone to comply with the PSPO and they fail to do so without reasonable excuse, then a criminal offence has been committed which is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1000.
An Authorised Officer may issue a fixed penalty notice of £100 to anyone they have reason to believe has committed an offence in relation to this Order.
How to pay a PSPO fine
How to challenge a PSPO fine
There is no formal appeal process for Fixed Penalty Notices issued for criminal behaviour, but we will review any case where you disagree with the charge you have received.
You can use our online complaint procedure , or call us on 01225 394041, explaining why you think you have received the Fixed Penalty Notice in error.
If we still believe you have committed an offence, after reviewing all available evidence, we will explain the decision to you.
How we consulted on this PSPO
A PSPO is valid for three years. We have to consult on PSPOs every three years, to get public feedback on whether we should change, extend or remove restrictions. The current orders are now in place until 2029.
We held a public consultation about introducing a PSPO to govern dog fouling and keeping dogs under control in Council cemeteries in January-February 2026, with proposals for a PSPO to cover six Council owned cemeteries. As a result of this consultation, the current PSPO was created.
Read the consultation material