Moortown RUFC: ‘Vindictive’ council refuse to provide bins at Leeds rugby club where dog poo is thrown in trees

Carl Thewlis said that he has been at loggerheads with Leeds City Council about the issue of dog waste being left on the grounds of Moortown RUFC since he became chair in 2013. He said that because there are no dog waste bins around Mangau Woods near to the rugby club – which is a popular spot for dog walkers – hundreds of bags of dog poo are left on the club’s grounds every week.

Mr Thewlis is also currently in a dispute with the council about overgrown hedges on the rugby club’s grounds. The council has issued a court order for them to be trimmed but Mr Thewlis has replied saying that the hedges have traditionally been trimmed in May by volunteers year since the 1950s. He also said a request to receive the dog waste bins in return for the hedges being removed was rejected.

The council said an assessment of the area found that a dog waste bin was “not suitable” and that the order has been issued because the hedges have rendered the footpath “unsuitable”.

Mr Thewlis said that the issue of dog poo being left on the club’s grounds has got “worse and worse” over the years. Recently he said that a skip outside the changing rooms was filled with dozens of bags of poo, adding: "We get 250 juniors coming to play every weekend and it creates a risk for them. It’s disgusting.

"I’ve been asking the council since before Covid for a couple of official dog bins and even said we will service them and they keep saying there’s no money. They installed Covid signs in the same area though and there’s millions being spent on roadworks around the city. I don’t get it.”

The overgrown hedges in question are on Far Moss and Mr Thewlis has said that dog walkers throw bags of dog poo over the bush and into the rugby club more often when they have been trimmed.

He said: “People complete their dog walks and chuck poo over and it’s hanging in the bush or trees. I’ve seen people doing it before and chased them.

"We offered to trim them sooner if the council provides dog bins but instead they’ve given us a court notice. If they take us to court it’ll cost ten times as much as providing dog bins. It seems if you upset someone in the council they will do everything they can to make your life miserable. It’s just vindictive.”

A Leeds City Council Spokesperson said: “After inspection by our highways team, a Section 154 Notice was issued to representatives of Moortown RUFC as the hedges on the property were overgrown, rendering the public footpath unusable for pedestrians, wheelchair users and pushchairs. We have been in conversation with representatives from the club to reach a solution, and that process is ongoing.

“A separate issue around the provision of bins for dog waste was raised by the club. The Council do not provide dog waste bins on private land but can give advice on tackling and preventing dog fouling. Our cleaner neighbourhoods team assessed the local area and did not find suitable evidence to install a bin locally.”