Dog daycare business loses fight appeal over enforcement notice
The owner of a dog grooming business has lost his appeal against a council enforcement decision at a former village farm.
Christopher Beech was granted planning permission to convert part of the farm at Wragby Grange, in Wragby, into a dog daycare business and grooming parlour in 2023.
In January last year, Wakefield Council issued an enforcement notice prohibiting the use of a 2.5 hectare piece of land at the site for dog training.
At the time, the authority said planning conditions had been breached and raised concerns that residents would be disturbed by barking.
The council also ordered two shelters on the land near to Doncaster Road to be removed, claiming it was “harmful to the greenbelt.”
Mr Beech challenged the decision but the appeal was dismissed, according to a Planning Inspectorate report published on August 24.
An inspector’s report said: “Although the shelters are appropriate facilities for outdoor recreational purposes, in my judgement they detract from the openness of green belt and the development as a whole is inappropriate in the greenbelt.”
However, the report said the appellant had provided a “robust” noise impact assessment which showed people living near the site would not be impacted by noise.
The inspector, who visited the site in July, said: “When the dog daycare business was open most dogs were exercising in the open paddock and others were being exercised off-site.
“There was little audible dog noise on entering the site and for the duration of my visit.
“Taking account of the range of evidence available, on this issue I conclude that the development does not have a harmful effect on the living conditions of the occupants of nearby residential properties with particular reference to noise.”
A document outlining the grounds for appeal previously submitted on behalf Mr Beech said: “This use operates in line with the planning permission and licence issued by the council’s environmental health department.
“The use of the land alleged by the council is not an inappropriate form of development in the greenbelt.
“The use of the land as alleged by the council does not cause unacceptable harm to the living conditions of neighbouring occupants.”