The Council

Tuesday, November 15 2011, 09:58 GMT

Council scoops national RSPCA award

Eastleigh Borough Council has scooped a national award for its work on tackling the issue of illegally tethered horses in the borough.

The Council scooped the English District Innovator prize at the RSPCA’s national Community & Animal Welfare Innovator awards.  The awards were established to recognise, promote and celebrate good practice in local government.

Historically horses have been tethered on Council owned land without permission, such as alongside highways, on sports pitches and in children’s play areas.  This has put both the horses’ welfare and the public safety at risk.  In response the Council’s animal welfare team developed a tethered horse policy to deal with this real problem.

The aim of the policy was to improve the welfare of horses, promote responsible ownership, protect public safety and reduce complaints of noise and nuisance generated by the tethering of horses.  This was achieved through the introduction of formal procedures allowing officers to seize horses tethered on council land without permission. 

Since February 2011 the Council has seized and re-homed four horses. Recently the Council has received very few complaints regarding tethered horses, fully achieving the aim of introducing the policy and improving the welfare of horses within the borough.

Cabinet Lead for the Environment Louise Bloom says “We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award. Our ‘Tethered Horse Policy’ helps to safeguard the safety of horses and the public and has addressed a real concern of our residents.  It also sends out a strong message that we will not tolerate horses being illegally tethered on our land”    

Eastleigh Borough Council is now currently working with Southampton City Council to assist them in delivering their own tethered horses policy. The Council continues to offer assistance to private land owners should they require removal of horses from their land. 

Cllr Rupert Kyrle (right) and Environmental Health Manager Matt Blythe receive the national RSPCA award