The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was impressed to read recently of the success that the PooWatch scheme in Worcester has enjoyed since its launch in November 2015 and remains convinced that this is a model that Oldham Council should introduce to help tackle dog fouling in the Borough.
Councillor Sykes said: “I first wrote to Helen Lockwood, Executive Director of Co-operatives and Neighbourhoods, and Carol Brown, Director of Environmental Services in January of this year asking them to contact Worcester council officers about the scheme. Twelve months on PooWatch has proven its value in helping to tackle the anti-social behaviour of irresponsible owners who do not clear up after their dog.”
He added: “PooWatch is a new free web app for smartphones, tablets and personal computers. I think this technology could be of great use in helping Oldham Council tackle this blight in our Borough.”
Through the Poowatch app, residents can record any dog litter they spot in the city. The information they provide helps identify dog litter hotspots so action can be targeted in areas of greatest need.
Worcester City Council has reported that PooWatch has “attracted much positive media attention and (they have) been overwhelmed with reports of dog fouling left on the city’s streets.”
Councillor Sykes feels that: “PooWatch empowers the public to be the Council’s eyes and ears in the community. Using a smart phone they report real incidents in real time to enable prompt action to be taken against irresponsible dog owners and to contribute to both a more co-operative and a cleaner borough.”
The web app – which is free to access – uses GPS locaters to provide a simple and easy way for people to report dog mess and will help create an interactive map of the city showing the worst affected areas. It also shows the nearest bin to the location of the person accessing the app.
Cllr Sykes added: “Dog fouling is one of those issues that my ward councillors and I are constantly asked about. Now PooWatch has demonstrated its value in tackling the blight of dog fouling isn’t it now time for Council officers to introduce it here?”