THE Meadows in Tavistock are to remain open-plan, after councillors threw out a suggestion to fence off the children's play area in the wake of a recent accident involving a dog and a toddler.
Members at last week's meeting of the town's properties committee heard that a child visiting the play park had broken her leg after a dog had bowled over her grandmother, who was carrying her at the time.
Robert Tolly said: 'My wife fell very heavily onto her back, jarring badly her back, shoulders and neck.
'Aimee was thrown by the force to my wife's side — due to this incident, Aimee has a fractured left leg and will be in plaster for the next four weeks.'
Mr Tolly said in all other parks he has visited, the children's play areas have been fenced off and dogs kept out.
Cllr Jenny Metcalf was shocked a child had suffered such an accident.
She said: 'I think it would be rather nice to have a completely dog-free area. I'm afraid people with dogs have a double-vision about this sort of thing. It's a major problem and could well land us in trouble.'
Cllr Robin Pike said the Meadows play area was one of very few he knew of which was not fenced off, and questioned whether there was any legislation concerning appropriate barriers.
Cllr John Wright said he had sympathy with the family involved but felt the council had done all that could be reasonably expected of it with regard to safety.
'It's our responsibility not to turn the Meadows, one of the open spaces we have inherited, into a sort of cross between Pentonville and Strangeways. I refuse to have an accident of this sort being used as a lever on us,' he said.
Cllr Norma Woodcock said although the accident was 'extremely unfortunate', fencing off the area would not have prevented it happening.
'It's a matter for the whole of the Meadows — dogs should not be allowed to run loose and owners must be responsible.
'We pay thousands for the poop-scoop scheme, we have provided every amenity for people to be responsible and it seems to me by putting in a fence, it would immensely detract from this vast open space,' she said.
Cllr Judith Williams said unfortunate though the incident was, it could have happened anywhere, particularly an area like Whitchurch Down where dogs run free.
The town clerk, Roger Howard, said play park fencing was not mandatory, although it was considered 'good practice'.
And he said the question of extra training for town council staff in dealing with the public had been raised in the past with West Devon Borough Council, under its dog warden scheme.
The part-time warden covers parishes throughout the borough which contribute to its operation, encouraging people to be responsible dog owners and targetting those who persistently flout dog-fouling laws.
Cllr Ken Sanders said: 'I would agree we need to have our staff trained to handle these situations. On the many occasions I have spoken to people in the Meadows, my vocabulary has increased dramatically!'
The committee agreed to ask if the situation in the Meadows could be monitored closely by the dog warden.
The clerk will also request that town council works staff receive some training from the warden.