wightdogs.com ISLE of WIGHT DOGS and OWNERS

Here is a stream of emails between wightdogs and Encams(who award BlueFlags etc) regarding the council suggesting they are looking at ways to extend the beach ban at Ryde, at the request of Encams.

Now it turns out that Encams have been happily awarding Quality Coast awards at Ryde even though the beach doesnt meet their own criteria!?!

As like the council they didn't understand the beach ban either!

Quite how the council expect holiday makers to understand the rules if they don't and Encams cant is quite beyond us.

Especially as the incorrect signs are all still in place regardless, quite frankly you couldn't make it up!

Quality Coast Award?

Its got to be about the grottiest, most wretched bit of beach on the Island, and I have never seen anyone bathing there at low tide, period.

@wightdogs

UPDATE 29. 05. 10 The Quality Coast Award appeared to remain in place throughout the summer, if it didn't we were certainly unaware of that as despite our constantly monitoring the councils website we never established any information which stated the status of this beach had changed in any way. In addition the Award flag continued to be flown adjacent to the Bot House pub . wightdogs are reliant on the councils website for information as during the period of these emails the council constantly ignored our emails and now our email communications are instantly bounced back stating that the sender is "blacklisted"

The council supposedly applied for the award even though the beach didn't qualify, and it was awarded regardless of that,

The beach now apparently has a category of QCA for a "non bathing beach" which doesn't require dogs to be banned and water quality here is no longer monitored by the Environment Agency

The council were successful in their attempts to ban dogs from this beach and they are now banned on the beach in its entirety all the way from the sea-wall to the mean Low Water mark.

wightdogs to Encams   11.05.09

Dear Sir,

A representative of Encams, Ms XXXX, Programmes Coordinator, has been quoted in a communication from a representative of the Isle of Wight Council as suggesting that the council review their Dog Control Orders to ensure that the beaches on the Island comply with your requirements of dog exclusion. And strongly advised the council to extend the dog ban area.

I would remind your organisation that the Dog Control Orders on the Island were established following a statutory public consultation, and reflect the findings of that consultation as part of a democratic process.

Would you therefore please inform me whether it is Encams policy to encourage an authority to interfere with that process, as a representative acting on your behalf appears to be stating such as a requirement.

Would you also please inform me if your organisation is funded in any way through public funds?

Yours Sincerely

wightdogs.com

Encams to wightdogs 15.05.09

The reply from Encams stated that in order to be eligible for a Quality Coast Award for a bathing beach a control order excluding dogs from at least part of the beach, including the low tide area, had to be in place during the bathing season.

They also stated that the Dog Control Orders on the Island all complied other than between Ryde and Seaview.  

They went on to say that "Ryde East beach" (sic) had been awarded a Quality Coast Award,as they believed the Dog Control Order did included the low tide area. They continued by saying that on discovering otherwise they contacted the council  to ask them "to investigate the possibility of extending the dog ban at this particular location"

wightdogs to Encams 15.05.09 

Dear XXXXXXXXXXXXXX,

Thank you for your response,

As the beach at Ryde East does not meet your criteria , are you stating that the Quality Coast Award it has achieved is in fact erroneous? I fail to see how, if this beach doesn't meet the criteria on this point, this award can be valid, and if the award remains in place how your awards can maintain any credibility.

Could you please clarify the situation on this point.

 Also you state "We would not support the council in any action that would interfere with a democratic process."

However the current Dog Control Orders were established only a year ago following a public consultation that was part of the democratic process.

Therefore your representative contacting the local authority to ask them to investigate thepossibility of extending the dog ban at this particular location, is encouraging them to do just that, interfere with the decisions made as part of that democratic process.

As to public money funding this interference I think that is a point that needs raising with our parliamentary representative.

Yours Sincerely

wightdogs.com

Encams to wightdogs 15.05.09 

Encams reply stated that they were in the process of reviewing the award given to "Ryde East beach"(sic) and that they were waiting for the IW council to inform them if they intended to pursue an extension to the Dog Control Order for the beach.