Download the Management Plan - Carlisle City Council

waste from the tearoom for free. This area however became a target for flytipping and was a
constant headache for staff trying to keep the area tidy. It became an eyesore and thankfully was
able to be removed in 2009 when a new recycling centre was set up in Brampton. The Tarn
retained a cardboard recycling bin which is now pays to have emptied. Cardboard is the largest
volume waste from the tearoom and thus worth maintaining recycling facilities for this. As other
waste from site is mixed waste with dog poo it is unfeasible to sort and recycled this. See also
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Action
Monitor use of bins and move or remove as necessary.
Continue to explore ways of reducing waste on site.
Graffiti & Vandalism
Thankfully there is very little graffiti or vandalism issues at Talkin Tarn. Incidents are usually
very minor and easily dealt with the same day by Tarn staff.
Dogs
The site is very popular with dog walkers. Dog owners are requested to keep their dogs under
close control. Although some people would prefer this to be dogs on a lead, it is felt this is over
the top and would be incredibly difficult to enforce after hundreds of years of use otherwise.
Some dog owners do however consistently abuse this letting their dogs run wild across the fields,
paths and woods. Dogs catching and killing rabbits and ducks is not the acceptable practice that
some dog owners seem to think that it is, whatever the breed of dog. Swans have been killed the
last 2 years running by dogs ‘playing’! Staff, are expected to speak to any member of the public
whose dogs are deemed to be behaving in an unacceptable manner. Staff, have been issued with
information cards to give to members of the public who refuse to listen and often become
abusive when confronted about their dog’s behaviour.
A series of fences were installed along the south and east sides of the Tarn after the outbreak of
foot and mouth disease in 2001 to reduce dog and sheep contact. Although there was some
public opposition to this, the impact for people and wildlife has been very beneficial.
The bank side vegetation has had an opportunity to grow up with less wear on the shore. (from
sheep) This is excellent for the common blue damselfly that is known as the symbol of the Tarn.
The damselflies need vegetation for the emergent stage of their lifecycle. The vegetation is also
good for stabilising the banks, which are prone to being washed away and provides nesting areas
for the wild foul. Separating the sheep from the dogs has also reduced the number of sheep
attacks and incidents. Even though the fence is there it does not stop access into the fields, and
stiles are provided for this purpose. Dogs are however requested to be on a lead in these fields if
sheep are grazing. Land owners are entitled to shoot dogs found attacking their livestock and
owners will be taken to court. There have been several incidents of this nature at Talkin Tarn.
Staff will call the police in these cases.
The site is covered by the Dogs (fouling of land) Act 1996.
A local authority may by order designate for the purposes of this Act any land in their area which
is land to which this Act applies.
If a dog defecates at any time on designated land and a person who is in charge of the dog at that
time fails to remove the faeces from the land forthwith, that person shall be guilty of an offence.
There is also now Dog Control Orders (Prescribed Offences and Penalties, etc.) Regulations
2006 and the Dog Control Orders (Procedures) Regulations 2006, which implement sections 55
and 56 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 Under section 57 of this act a
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