MANY residents, especially children, are still enjoying the summer break. I hope the current good weather will continue, because there are so many great things for people to do in Swindon.

While the good weather holds, we have a range of lovely parks and green open spaces.

I know many people who enjoy a walk, picnic or even a bit of sunbathing at Badbury, Lydiard Park, and Stanton.

You can also visit Coate Water, which has its own miniature railway, a splash park and the Richard Jefferies museum.

“Others make regular use of the Town Gardens, Queens Park and the Lawn Woods, to name but a few.

We are actually very well served in Swindon with all these spaces, including our community forests and I urge you all to make the best use of them that you can.

Our parks are public places and most of the time those who use them show proper respect for other users.

Those who are playing football or cricket take care not to inconvenience those out just to enjoy the sun.

Those having a picnic remember to take their rubbish home for recycling or to be disposed of properly, and those who walk dogs manage to allow their pets to run free without being a nuisance or danger to anyone else.

Our aim as a council is to make sure all these spaces remain safe and accessible to residents.

That means we may sometimes have to consider new rules or regulations.

For example, at Lydiard we are about to introduce a Public Space Protection Order, or PSPO, that will require owners to keep their dogs on a lead in about one quarter of the park, the areas nearest the house and including the main lawn, barbecue area and the sports and events field.

It also includes the Walled Garden and the Rick Yard, where we did not previously permit dogs.

The Order won’t apply to registered assistance dogs.

We will be introducing this restriction, which will run from April 1 to September 30 each year, because we received a number of complaints of some dogs behaving aggressively or dangerously to other dogs or park users.

We carried out an extensive consultation and we listened to all the comments made, most of which were in support of the proposals.

I am sure that this PSPO, along with the common sense of most people who go to Lydiard Park, will make sure it remains one of the great attractions in this borough.