New bins, bag dispensers to combat rogue dog poopers

Welshpool Town Council is fighting back to combat the town’s rogue dog owners who are letting their pets poop across the town without picking it up.

The local authority has released a nine-point plan to improve its general bin and waste operations across Welshpool, with a particular focus on addressing trouble spots caused by irresponsible dog owners.

They are even considering investing in a dog warden to start handing out fines.

At the latest Operations & Development Committee meeting, councillors were told by the Mayor that there had been a “noticeable increase in dogs fouling the footpaths and owners not picking it up”.

Cllr Bill Rowell highlighted a current issue on Salop Road where there appeared to be “a very large and incontinent dog”, that has resulted in complaints reaching him.

So the Town Council is taking action with Town Clerk, Richard Williams, explaining that an audit of the current provision has highlighted areas that needed to be addressed.

He said that the council had collected over 12 tonnes of general rubbish from April 2025-March 2026 from its 56 bins located on Town Council land across the town.

He added that in the coming weeks there would be more signage, bins, bag dispensers as well as a public relations campaign to promote Welshpool as a dog friendly town.

Here are the nine areas identified in the plan:

1. Install a dog poo bag dispenser at the front of the Town Hall on Broad Street.

2. Install two dog poo bins with bag dispensers at the entrances to Maes y Dre.

3. Install a dog poo bag dispenser at the gate entrance to Powis Castle Lower Park.

4. Convert the two litter bins at Near Belan and Far Belan to dog waste bins only due to persistent misuse for household waste disposal.

5. At Little Burgess, replace the two smaller litter bins with one larger bin and remove the existing larger bin located by the steps.

6. At Big Burgess, replace the two smaller litter bins with one larger bin, relocate the dog poo bin and dispenser to the former black bin location, and remove the bear bin.

7. At Welshpool Country Park, relocate one pink bin to the picnic bench area and remove one bin.

8. Install a dog poo bag dispenser at the Canal by Flash.

9. Install one new black litter bin and dog poo bag dispenser at the Canal by Hope House, subject to the formal consent of the Canal & River Trust.