Animal group told to close its rescue centre
Search is on for suitable premises for nine cats
AN ANIMAL welfare group has been ordered to close a rescue centre for homeless pets which was operating out of its founder’s home.
Friends of the Animals RCT uses the base in Ynysybwl, called Wonky Towers, to temporarily house cats and dogs in need while their future is resolved – whether it’s returning them to their owner, moving them onto foster carers or finding a new home.
But the group has now been ordered to close that base after an unsuccessful appeal to the Welsh Government Planning Inspectorate against RCT council’s decision not to grant planning permission.
The organisation, which is in the process of becoming a registered charity, will now have to dismantle a cat pen – currently home to nine cats – and find other suitable premises.
They would otherwise face legal action.
It comes as a huge blow to volunteers, who are now having to turn away calls from members of the public to help animals in need, and hundreds of people have taken to social media to show their support for the group.
Eileen Jones, rescue coordinator and founder of Friends of the Animals RCT, lives at the premises in Ynysybwl.
She said: “We moved in about two-and-a-half years ago, and didn’t have the money to buy a property. We found this property in Ynysybwl with a landlord willing to have it [the animal rescue centre] on the premises.
“A neighbour objected to the cat pen and the movement of volunteers in and out of the property, and complained to the council. We had to apply for a change of use to a rescue centre, and put the application in thinking we’d get it. This was in 2014.
“But it was turned down, so we faced an enforcement notice. So we appealed to the Welsh Inspectorate but the council’s decision was upheld.”
The situation came to light this week following a council enforcement officer’s visit to the premises on Monday, October 24, where the group was told it had to dismantle the cat pen immediately.
Eileen said that will be done by October 30, when six of the nine cats living there are moved out. The remaining three will be adopted by the group’s founder.
She added: “The devastating thing for all of us is that we’ve now had to stop taking animals in during emergencies – especially with winter coming up.
“We’ll have calls from members of the public which we’ll have to turn down, until we find somewhere else. It’s also heart-breaking for our volunteers – some of who have physical and mental disabilities, and for whom Friends of the Animals RCT is their life.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received on social media, from people we know and from people we don’t, who recognise the good work we do here.
“We are now raising money to try and find a new home, which will be difficult.”
A council statement said: “Following complaints from local residents, investigations established that the Friends of the Animals RCT were operating without the necessary planning permission, and despite efforts to find alternative solutions and a new location, the council had no option other than to serve an Enforcement Notice on the premises.
“Friends of the Animals RCT were operating an animal rescue centre out of a residential property, in a street in Ynysybwl.
“To support the organisation, the council leader has met with the group to offer support to secure alternative accommodation and both charity and council officers are proactively working together.
“The council is continuing to provide advice and work with Friends of the Animals RCT the group in terms of finding alternative premises and additional grant funding.”
Read the full council statement at: www. walesonline.co.uk/ all-about/cynon-valley