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Upper and Lower Benefield is situated in East Northamptonshire, along the A427 in between Corby and Oundle.

Benefield Parish Council consists of 7 elected members who represent both Upper and Lower Benefield. The Parish Council Meetings are held approximately every 6 weeks in the Village Hall, Brigstock Road, Lower Benefield.

The Draft Minutes from the Annual Parish Meeting, the Annual Parish Council Meeting and the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 24th May 2021 are now available. The next Parish Council Meeting is due to be held on Monday 23rd August, the Agenda will be available by Monday 16th August.

There is a growing Cricket Club, the Cricket Pavilion has been extended, which is situated in Upper Benefield.

The Village Church is in Lower Benefield, along the Brigstock Road, which holds regular services on Sunday’s along with an Annual Flower Festival and Garden Fete. The Church page on this website was updated on Friday 23rd July with the Hymns and Pimm’s evening.

The Village Hall page has been updated with details of the new secretary.  Due to the lockdown being extended to July 19th,  the Village Hall Committee have decided to postpone the BBQ to 4th September when hopefully restrictions will be removed.

Dog Fouling – Clean Up After your dog – It is the Law

There have been several reports of dog poop bags being thrown into the hedgerows along the permissive footpaths, please take it home and put it in your black bin.

The Law

Using powers in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (2005), East Northamptonshire Council has implemented four dog control orders including “Failing to remove dog faeces”. This applies to all land that is open to the air and the public are entitled or permitted to have access to with or without payment. Using these powers the council can issue a fixed penalty notice of £100 to any person that lets their dog foul and does not pick it up. Being unaware that your dog has fouled is not considered a reasonable excuse for leaving it.

If you are issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice and you don’t pay it you could be taken to court. The maximum penalty then rises to £1,000. Whenever you go out with your dog carry some bags with you, just in case. Having no bags with you isn’t a reasonable excuse for not clearing up and you could still be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice.

Enforcement

East Northamptonshire Council’s Environmental Services Officers patrol areas where problems with dog fouling have been reported to try to catch the offender or act as a deterrent. If you would like to report a fouling problem it would be helpful if you could give them as much details such as approximate times when the fouling is happening and if possible descriptions of the dog and/or its owner. We may also be able to put up some signs warning owners not to let their dogs foul. Please see our dog fouling page for more information.

Please use the reporting dog fouling form to report an area to us where dog fouling needs to be cleaned up.