No Exmoor Ponies on Cleadon Hills

On one of our twice daily hill walks last week, Ollie and I came across a young gentleman liberally spray painting a stone outcrop at the back of the water tower and golf club with 2 extremely large "tags". Anti-social behaviour does go on on Cleadon Hills-makes you wonder what these characters would do to enclosed animals with no chance of escape? The council needs to rethink this one.

Ponies are not the best option. Older people like me are nervous of horses and will stay away from the hills. I go every day. Children will need to be properly controlled and we all know many parents aren't up to it. In a time of strife why on earth are you wasting £15K on a windmill likely to be vandalised..Please don't ruin our beauty spot and cut the grass when the seeds have fallen.

This is the best local place to exercise dogs safely off lead. It is safe and away from busy roads so is ideal and a lovely walk for the dog owners too. I would also be very concerned for the safety of any animals grazing here due to the isolated location especially during the night. Who will ensure their safety?

Just to add to all this no one is mentioning the fact that there is quite a lot of drinking and smashing of bottle up on the hills after dark, bushes set alight and other shennanigans, hardly a safe environment for the ponies unless of course security through the night is being supplied?

Don't put these animals at risk and spoil the enjoyment of the many dog owners who use the area in a responsible way. Children should also be allowed to continue enjoying the area to play as they have for generations. Flying kites, picnicking, running free and safe. It's an area for exercise for dogs and humans alike so leave it that way.

As an almost daily dog walker I most strongly oppose the council's proposal and so does my dog!

There is no other SAFE recreation area for dogs to run and play off lead in So. Tyneside.

Please do not go down this road. The text opposite speaks volumes. Thank you

The council seem to be hell bent on this to happen and don't seem to be taking public opinion seriously.

This would be unfair to dog walkers who have enjoyed using this unique location for many years.

Crazy idea, putting ponies at risk from vandals and taking no account of the people who have used the area for years and look after the place on a regular basis.

There are many idiots on motor bikes,no helmets etc plus the people who do the shooting the poor ponies will be terrified its cruel.

This is a so wrong one major problem is ponies like the Exmoor need acres upon acres to survive and live discreetly and not on show to public

A ridiculous, whimsical idea!

Nothing has changed since the council last tried this. I dont care what the moorland mousie trust say, the ponies will be left to god and good neighbours. certainly not the council. We dont want them!

Too dangerous for ponies and humans alike. Teens drink up there and dogwalkers let the dogs off for a run up there

As a parent with a child who rides past and has her horse on the yard next to the site I am very concerned for her safety and not to say the welfare for the horses on this very well used site

Wouldn't this undo all the hard work the National Trust have put in to make the hills what they are now? Why take away another beauty spot? Leave well alone.

Ponies grazing on the hills could make it extremely dangerous for local horse riders, it will be very hard for us trying to ride our horses from cleadon hills farm with ponies potentially running round the hills. Our horses are likely to spook or bolt when passing, we have no other way of getting off our farm than passing the hills! Accident waiting to happen, ridiculous idea!!!

Keep area where dogs can run free, they need somewhere to exercise. Some bins would be helpful to dispose of waste safely.