Dogs stay banned from Weymouth Beach all day from 1 May to 30 September. Cabinet approved the new Dorset dog rules on 10 November without the 6pm plan.

Dogs will stay banned from Weymouth’s main beach all day in summer. Dorset Council’s Cabinet approved the county’s new dog rules on Tuesday 10 November without the change that would have let dogs on leads onto the sand from 6pm to 6am.

The Cabinet decision, published on 11 November, approves the new Dog-related Public Spaces Protection Order “with the proposed provisions” in the officers’ report. That report recommended keeping every summer beach restriction as it is.

The recommendation that went to Cabinet had carried an amendment from councillors on the Place and Resources Overview Committee. It asked for dogs on leads to be allowed on Weymouth Beach between 6pm and 6am during the summer restriction, or failing that, a trial. The published decision includes neither.

What the rules are now

The new order runs for three years, from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029, according to the officers’ report. For Weymouth it keeps:

  • the summer dog ban on the beach from 1 May to 30 September, all day
  • the year-round dog exercise area at the Pavilion end of the beach, where dogs can run off the lead
  • the exclusion area from that exercise area to the Greenhill Groyne

The report says the fixed 1 May to 30 September period had the most support in the consultation, at 44%. It warned that opening beaches in the evening and early morning risked more dog mess and dogs staying on past the permitted time. It also said Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and East Devon District Council ban dogs from their beaches for the whole summer period.

Why it mattered in Weymouth

The 6pm idea came from councillors, not officers. We reported in October that Weymouth Town Council, which manages and cleans the beach, objected to it. Its officers warned of extra early morning cleaning, mess washed into the bathing water before the 6am clean, and a risk to the town’s hopes of a Blue Flag.

The overview committee’s case was that Weymouth Beach is cleaned and raked every day in summer, so it was the place to test a change. It also said longer access could help local businesses.

When it takes effect

The decision can come into force on Thursday 19 November, unless six members of a scrutiny committee call it in by 18 November, according to the decision notice. The new order itself starts on 1 January 2027.

What it means for you

  • Nothing changes this winter. Dogs are allowed on Weymouth Beach now and will be until 30 April 2027, as in previous years.
  • From 1 May 2027, the summer ban returns on the same stretch and at the same times as this year. The Pavilion end exercise area stays open all year.
  • Want the rules changed? The order is reviewed every three years. Your Dorset councillor is the person to contact.

Sources