Dogs on a lead and banned areas

Dogs must be kept on a lead in public areas such as roads, pavements and footpaths.

If your dog is not on a lead, you may be liable to pay a fixed penalty notice of up to £100.

Dog on lead areas

Your dog must be kept on a lead in the following areas:

• Public highway - roads, pavements, footways, alleyways, ginnels and grass verges
• Miller Park
• Footpaths adjacent to and leading from Avenham Park Pavilion
• Japanese Garden in Avenham Park
• Winckley Square Park
• Playground or playing field of a school
• Grounds of Leisure Centres including sports pitches
• Footpaths within our cemetery or crematorium ground
• Peace Garden at the junction of Friargate and Ringway
• Flag Market, Market Place, Preston
• Two Covered Markets
• Designated areas in the following Local Nature Reserves:
  • Haslam Park
  • Grange Valley
  • Pope Lane
  • Hills and Hollows
  • Fishwick Bottoms
  • Boilton Wood

A map of all dogs on lead areas can be found in the document Dogs on lead order 2012 (PDF, 691 KB).

Banned areas

It is an offence to take your dog into the following areas:

• Play areas
• Multi-use games areas and ball courts
• Bowling greens (excluding the footpath around the green)
• Skate park, BMX track or youth shelter
• Sports pitches when organised activities are taking place
• Fountain, water feature, pond or ornamental lake
• Cemetery or crematorium grass areas (dogs on leads are allowed on the footpaths within these grounds)

A map of all banned areas can be found in the document Dog Exclusion Order 2012 (PDF, 342 KB).

How to report a dog not on a lead?

To report a dog not on a lead or banned area complete the following form:

Report a dog not on a lead

What happens next?

Once you have completed the form, the information will be logged on our database. If we have enough details, we will contact the individual reported and enforcement action may be taken.

Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN's) can be issued if the offence is witnessed by council or police officers. Prosecution can also be undertaken if the offender chooses not to pay a FPN.

Community Protection Warnings can lead to a Community Protection Notice and issued to serial offenders. Prosecution can result from breaches of a Community Prosecution Notice.