Professional dog walkers will pay less than other groups, an update on upcoming licence fees for Bristol parks reveals.
The fees are due to be rolled out early next year in parks across the city, although the exact level of charges has not yet been made known.
However, after pressure from dog walkers, Bristol City Council has agreed to reduce fees for their licences, compared to other businesses such as personal trainers holding bootcamp classes. These were initially proposed at £450 per business in one park, earlier this year.
The reduced fees were revealed by Lib Dem Councillor Stephen Williams, on November 21. This came after warnings that £450 would be unaffordable.
Rebecca Wilson, one affected dog walker, said: “There isn’t anywhere like £450 profit in an average, good, responsible dog walker’s business per year. It’s a hand to mouth business model. With fees anywhere above £100, this cost will be passed directly to your constituents using invaluable dog walking services.”
The primary aim for the licences, according to Cllr Williams, is to monitor what commercial activities are taking place in parks.