Nonsuch Park to Introduce Licensing for Professional Dog Walkers

A well-known park situated on the Surrey-London border is set to implement a licensing scheme for professional dog walkers wishing to utilize its grounds. Nonsuch Park in Epsom is administered by a joint management committee, which is overseen by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and the London Borough of Sutton. Commencing April 2025, commercial dog walkers will be required to pay an annual fee of £200 and will face a restriction of six dogs per walk. This initiative will be launched as a 12-month pilot program, following a public consultation. Professional dog walkers will be mandated to furnish proof of public liability insurance and risk assessments. Furthermore, there are intentions to establish a code of conduct. This development follows a prior decision by Reigate and Banstead District Council to implement a similar scheme. Julian Freeman, an Epsom and Ewell councillor who formerly chaired the joint management committee, commented: “With feedback from almost 1,000 people, including commercial dog walkers using the park already, it is clear that this is an important issue to many people.” Louise Phelan, the current chair and a Sutton councillor, stated: “We know that the professional dog walkers who visit Nonsuch Park take the responsibility of walking multiple dogs in a public area extremely seriously and support the introduction of a licensing scheme that helps protect the reputation and standards of their profession.” She added: “We hope the subsequent licensing scheme will go some way to create an open space which everyone can enjoy.”