Barbecues and fires are banned in every public place in Warwick district from 4 November, and dogs must be leashed in more parks. £100 fines.

Lighting a barbecue in a Leamington park will become an offence from Wednesday 4 November. The same date brings stricter dog rules in Victoria Park, St Nicholas Park and Abbey Fields.

Warwick District Council has sealed its new Public Spaces Protection Orders for 2026 to 2029. The council’s seal was fixed on 23 September. The orders cover every public place in the district, which includes Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and Whitnash.

Breaking one can bring a fixed penalty of at least £100, payable within 14 days. If the case goes to court, the maximum fine is £1,000. Both figures are in the sealed anti-social behaviour order.

The barbecue and fire ban

The order says nobody in a public place in the district may:

  • light any fire, including campfires, bonfires and fire pits
  • use any barbecue, including disposable, portable and gas barbecues, or any other outdoor cooking equipment
  • throw or drop anything likely to start a fire, including matches, lighters, fireworks, sparklers and flammable liquids

Events authorised by the council or the landowner are exempt, as are the emergency services. The ban applies to “any land open to the air to which the public have access”. It does not apply to your own garden.

The other anti-social behaviour rules

The same order also covers:

  • Harassment in public. It names catcalling, wolf whistling, following someone, sexualised comments and discriminatory remarks.
  • Anti-social riding of bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters and mopeds, including riding on a footpath in a way that obstructs people.
  • Public urination and defecation, with an exception for a medical reason.
  • Direction to leave. An officer can order someone out of a park, car park, shopping area or bus shelter for up to 24 hours.
  • Alcohol and other intoxicating substances. An officer can tell you to stop drinking and take the drink away if you are causing a nuisance. The council says drinking in public is not itself an offence.

Police officers, PCSOs and the council’s community wardens can all enforce it.

What changes for dog owners

The council’s dog control orders page lists the 2026 rules. We compared them with the 2020 orders, using an archived copy of the same page from April 2025.

Dogs must now be on a lead at all times in these places, which were not on the 2020 list:

  • Pageant Gardens, Leamington
  • parts of Victoria Park, Leamington
  • parts of St Nicholas Park, Warwick
  • parts of Abbey Fields, Kenilworth
  • bowling green spectator areas
  • footpaths and pavements next to roads
  • council-owned car parks

Jephson Gardens and the Leamington, Milverton, Warwick and Kenilworth cemeteries stay on the lead list. The footpath across Newbold Comyn Golf Course, which was on the 2020 list, is no longer named.

Dogs are now banned from these places too:

  • skate parks and crazy golf, where signs show a dog exclusion zone
  • the learn-to-ride area at Newbold Comyn

Signed play areas, paddling pools, bowling greens, tennis courts, putting greens and multi-use games areas stay dog-free, as does the Warwick Racecourse track.

Only parts of Victoria Park, St Nicholas Park and Abbey Fields are covered. The council has published maps for each, including Victoria Park, St Nicholas Park and Abbey Fields.

Picking up after your dog stays compulsory on all public land. An officer can still tell you to put a dog on a lead anywhere in the district.

You can challenge the orders until early November

There is now a six-week window in which anyone who lives in, works in or visits the district can challenge the orders in the High Court. A challenge can only argue that the council did not have the power to make them, or did not follow the legal process. Six weeks from 23 September ends on 4 November, the date the council plans to switch the orders on.

The council says the launch will start with engagement and education before any enforcement. The public consultation ran from January to March 2025.

What it means for you

  • Bonfire night: the orders are due to start the day before 5 November. A garden display is not affected. Throwing or dropping fireworks or sparklers in a public place is covered by the fire ban.
  • Dog walkers: check the maps before your usual loop through Victoria Park, St Nicholas Park or Abbey Fields.
  • Cyclists and e-scooter riders: riding on a pavement in a way that obstructs people is covered.
  • Parks users: a disposable barbecue by the river in summer 2027 could cost you £100.

Read the council’s PSPO summary page for the full wording. For other council services, see our Leamington bin collection days and parking in Leamington pages.

Sources: Warwick District Council news release, 24 September 2026; Anti-Social Behaviour Order 2026, sealed 23 September 2026; council dog control orders page, 2026 and April 2025 versions.