Dog park approved despite opposition by neighbours

A DOG park in Kidmore End has been given planning permission.

Simon Herbert, who runs K9 Woodland Services, was granted retrospective planning permission for a change of use a 4.5-hectare site for dog walking at his home at Summer Cottage in Cane End.

South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning committee approved the application at a meeting on Wednesday last week.

An area of the site will be used as a dog adventure park.

Permission was also granted for an existing outbuilding to be used for dog daycare and grooming services and for benches and tables on the site.

Kidmore End Parish Council had objected to the application, saying the development would have a “detrimental impact” on the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and would increase the likelihood of accidents on the A4074 due to the additional traffic.

Neighbours had also opposed the application, citing disturbance from dogs barking and claiming the area of the land could be contaminated by dog excrement.

Mr Herbert told the committee that the park would provide a safe space for dog walkers.

He said: “I’ve lived at Summer Cottage now for over 10 years and I’ve known dog walking there the whole time.

“Dog walking companies used to walk at Gallowstree Common just down the road from me and they would walk in fields in public places. They can turn up in any public place and let six dogs off at a time — you cannot stop them. Now they come to my place, they sign a contract and it’s all monitored.

“There’s no dog waste on my land, none whatsoever. There’s bins at each gate and it’s taken away every two weeks by Biffa.”

Mr Herbert rejected neighbours’ criticism that there would be loud barking.

He said: “People have got dogs and they don’t want to go to the public places because they are concerned about their safety so they book online and use our woods.

“Anytime someone comes round my property I say, ‘What can you hear?’ Traffic, not dogs.

“Eleven people are objecting to this and six of them don’t even live anywhere near my road.”

Camilla Skinner, who lives in Cane End, said: “Traffic flow and quantity has notably increased on this notoriously dangerous road. It has affected the levels of safety for the residents.

“The incessant barking both day and into the night affects everyone, including those that work from home, being more prevalent in the summer and spring months. The daily noise, aggravation and stress-inducing impact from dogs charging at the fence line snarling and barking should not have to be tolerated.

“We feel Summer Cottage is becoming a commercial enterprise and I haven’t mentioned the petting and party barn [with] livestock escaping into our gardens.”

Andrew Harland, a member of Kidmore End Parish Council, said: “We already stated our strong opposition to this application and our view remains unchanged.

“This application for planning is the latest in a long series of retrospective planning applications demonstrating the complete disregard the applicant has for the planning process.”

He said the commercial development was at odds with the visions and objective of the Kidmore End neighbourhood development plan.

He said: “This development is unsupported by the Cane End community and is in conflict with parish objectives which oppose inappropriate development in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“Indeed, all the users of this site presently have to access it by van or car. This increase in the carbon footprint contradicts the county council’s policy in response to climate change. And these activities will increase traffic on an already dangerous section of the A4074.”

Planning officer Jeremy Peter recommended approval of the application. He said the impact on the natural landscape was acceptable and could be mitigated through appropriate conditions on hedging and tree management.

Mr Peter said: “The impact on neighbouring amenities can be minimised and controlled through conditions on operational hours, fencing and lighting. Ecology and biodiversity impacts could also be controlled by condition.

“Highways and drainage matters have been satisfactorily addressed. Consequently, it is considered that the development does accord with local and neighbourhood plans as well as national planning policy.

“[Mr Herbert] has acknowledged that the application is retrospective but current planning regulation does not preclude retrospective applications in order to regularise unauthorised development.

“This application had been assessed on its own merits and found to be acceptable subject to appropriate conditions.”

Mr Peter said he didn’t feel there was “any substance to the allegations concerning noise and aggressive dogs”.

He also noted that the council’s highway officers were happy with the application.

Stefan Gawrysiak, a Henley councilor on the committe, said: “There is nothing in planning terms we can do to refuse this application.

“I would just hope that the neighbours get together, if they possibly can, and talk.”