Councillor Tim Thomas
'Notice of Motion: Protection of Sports Pitches and Playgrounds (Dog Control)
This Council notes that:
• Bridgend County Borough Council is currently reviewing its Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) regarding dog control to ensure public spaces remain safe and clean.
• A recent severe incident at Pandy Park involving a Tondu RFC player resulted in emergency hospitalisation and intensive medical treatment due to an infection caused by dog faeces left on a marked sports pitch.
• Similar ongoing issues with dog fouling on sports pitches and children's play areas present significant health risks, including severe bacterial infections and toxocariasis, particularly to children and sports participants.
This Council believes that:
• While the vast majority of dog owners are responsible, the actions of a small minority place an unacceptable health and safety risk on sports clubs, young people, and the wider community.
• To protect dedicated sports and play facilities while still accommodating the needs of local pet owners, clearer and stricter boundaries regarding dog restraint and fouling are required on active recreational spaces.
This Council resolves to:
1. Amend the proposed PSPO to mandate that dogs must be kept on a lead at all times when walked near playgrounds and sports pitches, and are strictly prohibited from fouling, within all council-owned enclosed children's playgrounds and marked sports pitches.
2. Launch a pilot project at Pandy Park to establish a clearly designated, securely fenced "free-run" area where responsible dog owners can safely exercise their dogs off-lead, balancing the needs of sports clubs and pet owners.
3. Review the success of the Pandy Park pilot after 12 months to assess whether dedicated off-lead areas should be rolled out to other parks across the county borough alongside these targeted restrictions.
Councillor Freya Bletsoe
In Wales, the Small Business Rate Relief system is administered by Welsh Government through devolved powers. Here in Wales, if your business operates from a property that has a Rateable Value upto £6,000 the businesses are eligible to receive 100% relief. If it has a Rateable Value between £6,001 and £12,000, that relief is tapered from 100% down to 0%. Finally, if the Rateable Value is over £12,000 then there is no Business Rate Relief available under this specific scheme.
However, if you operated that same business in England, you could claim a 100% Business Rate Relief for a Rateable Value of the property up to £12,000 and it is then tapered relief from 100% to 0% for Rateable Values between £12,001 and £15,000.
This disparity between England and Wales is a contributing factor as to why our High Street and small businesses in our County are struggling. Taxation currently being paid to Welsh Government could be paying for wages for additional staff members, for investing in new stock or even paying our hard-working shop keepers and small businesses owners an actual living wage for the hard work they put into running their companies. Information from the Department of Work and Pensions stats show that from self-employed people who claim Universal Credit, between 2-4% of those claiming this are listing their primary main work as being “Retail/sales”. This then adds pressures to our Welfare State. We need to act as a Nation, and we need to ensure that those who work in our Town Centres and Town Centres around Wales are able to earn a living, instead of paying a taxation on trading that is imbalanced compared to those who operate across the border in England. There is also a disparity in taxation for SMEs who have a smaller Square footage footprint than the corporate giants who trade from far larger stores too. Large stores are not paying the same taxation amount per square foot as a small independent store is as they too in essence get a tapered relief due to how it is calculated and this means again that small independent shopkeepers here in our towns in Bridgend and across Wales are being disproportionately penalised.
We as Councillors who represent small shopkeepers and business owners, will already know the financial pressures they face on a monthly basis and fully understand these inequalities they face on a day to day basis to keep their businesses open. As such we much do all we can to support our local economy.
In their 2026 election manifesto, the now Welsh Government, Plaid Cymru party stated that “A Plaid Cymru government will cut business taxes for businesses in our town centres – reducing high street rates while ensuring out-of-town retailers pay their fair share”
I therefore propose that this Council notes that:-
Small, Independent Businesses who operate on our High Street pay a disproportionate level of business rates, compared to large out-of-town businesses and those who operate on the High Street in England
Small, Independent Businesses are an integral part of our community and economy, ensuring a circular economy that enables vibrancy and sustainability
Our High Street must be treated equally to out of town developments to help ensure that we sustain our iconic and historical Town Centres.
I also propose that this Council resolves to:-
Write to the new Welsh Government asking them to formally recognise the disparity in relation to the administration of Small Business Rate Relief compared between England and Wales. Also to recognise the challenges faced by High Street Shops and small business in Bridgend County in relation to Business Rates applied to them through the Welsh Government administered Small Business Rate Relief system. I propose we ask for the Welsh Government to commit to conducting a full review of how the Small Business Rates Relief system is calculated and administered for businesses who operate in Wales.
Secondly for the Leader to also write to the WLGA to request that they initiate a conversation between all 22 Local Authorities to ensure that the matter is discussed across Wales and seek a representation to Welsh Government from all Local Authorities in Wales on this important matter.