After nearly six months of strict enforcement, the law requiring dogs to be kept on leads in Open Access land areas in England will be lifted on Friday, 31 July. Since 1 March, dog owners have been legally required to keep their dogs on leads no longer than two metres while on Open Access land until 31 July, primarily to protect ground-nesting birds during their sensitive breeding season. Additionally, dogs must remain on a lead around livestock throughout the year and be kept under close control along the King Charles III England Coast Path.
These government rules aim to minimise disturbance to wildlife; however, they do not apply to public rights of way or assistance dogs. It is also important to note that some areas shown as Open Access land on maps are actually private or “excepted land,” where the public does not have the right to roam. Excepted land includes private properties such as houses and their grounds, land used for growing crops, building sites, parks, gardens, golf courses, racecourses, railways, tramways, and working quarries. Where such lands intersect with rights of way, the public should use those pathways.
Adriana Dermetzis and Holly Appleby from Uplands Research highlight the reasons behind these restrictions: “Dogs can easily disturb or interfere with ground-nesting birds during their breeding and nesting season. These birds see dogs as predators, causing increased vigilance. When flushed, the birds expend significant energy that would otherwise be devoted to nest building, incubating eggs, rearing chicks, or feeding. In some cases, nests may be damaged, eggs eaten, or chicks abandoned.”
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Previous studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects human recreation can have on breeding birds across various habitats, underscoring the importance of such seasonal restrictions.