Sarah StanfordA professional dog walker who regularly uses Windsor’s Great Park Estate fears she could be put out of business by new rules due to start next month.
Sarah Stanford routinely walks six dogs at a time, but imminent changes for the Great Park and two other Crown Estate forests in Berkshire mean a person can only walk four.
The Crown Estate said well-behaved dogs are welcome and the new measures, set after a consultation, would “allow everyone to continue to enjoy the space safety and responsibly”.
Most of the changes will be introduced from 25 February.
They also include Swinley and Buttersteep Forests, as well as banning dog walkers being in groups of more than eight dogs.
Getty ImagesAll professional dog walkers must also have a professional dog walking permit from 31 March.
“I would only take six because I am only insured for six,” Mrs Stanford said.
“What we cannot understand is where the Crown Estate has got to this rather arbitrary figure of four, which frankly will put some of us out of business – or we will just have to put prices up.
“An hour’s long dog walk, which is what most clients pay for, is not an hour’s walk. It’s two hours by the time you’ve got the six dogs.”
Annually about 5.5m people visit Windsor Great Park, with about 2m visiting Swinley and Buttersteep Forests.
The Crown Estate said it hoped its plans would “ensure that all visitors, including dogs, have a safe and enjoyable visit and help to safeguard vital habitats and rare flora and fauna on the Windsor Estate”.
In a statement, a Crown Estate spokesperson added: “The [professional] permit will ensure that all professional dog walkers are compliant with health and safety standards for their dogs and staff, that they are fully insured, that their customers are protected while their dogs are walked in Windsor Great Park and Forest, and that our other visitors are comfortable.
“While we are supportive of local businesses, we must prioritise the safety and security of our visitors to Windsor Great Park, and protect both the environment and local wildlife.”
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