Hello,
Where I live in Brighton the laws here most people seem to flaunt because its turning into a ghetto in some parts... Dogs not on leads are usually in the hands of tramps but i must admit their dogs are well behaved than most.. One good thing about Brighton is due to public demand and the residents sticking together we have got about 3 quarters of the public beach (roughly 3/4 mile to choose from between Brighton Pier and Brighton Marina) which is dog frendly all year round. I myself own a Miniture Jack Russell which is suprisingly well mannered but can be nervous with regards to new people because he had alot of abuse from the farm i bought him off of but its all ironed out or most is...
I tend to have him on his lead when around town but if popping out to the car to get something or going for a stroll along the beach i will admit his not on a lead because its not exactly busy in either place....