New regulations on allowing dogs access to beaches in one of the country's most popular tourist spots could come into force next year.
Officials will launch a public consultation next month before overhauling rules on dog-friendly beaches in Cornwall.
Dogs are currently allowed on 139 beaches and there are a further 70 where dogs are restricted. Of these, 48 are covered by Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), which are due to be updated in the forthcoming review.
Most of the current restrictions are seasonal, running from Easter day to October 1, CornwallLive reports.
A handful of beaches in Cornwall exercise an outright dog ban. These are mostly privately-owned with public access.
Legislation states that the protection orders, which can prohibit certain activities in designated areas, have to be reviewed every three years. The local authority is required to consult with other bodies - such as parish and town councils and private beach owners - as well as the public.
As part of the forthcoming consultation, Cornwall Council is asking whether the restrictions should be harmonised so they are the same for all beaches.
The council said this would make the restrictions easier to understand to ensure compliance.
It is also planning to ask whether more or fewer beaches should be covered and whether there should be blanket start and finish dates for the restrictions, possibly from April or May 1 to September 30.
Responses will be reported back to the council's neighbourhoods overview and scrutiny committee, which will discuss whether changes should be made for the re-issued PSPOs when they start in April 2020.
Since April 2017, the council has received 288 complaints and enquiries about the existing PSPOs for dogs on beaches.
A report to Cornwall Council stated: "The highest number of complaints and requests for enforcement patrols relate to those beaches with 24-hour dog restrictions from from April 1 to September, such as the beaches in Falmouth, Porthtowan and Polzeath.
"Many of these complaints are made early morning and in the evening, when the enforcement resource is limited or non-existent."
