Controversial dog field gets the go-ahead

A contentious dog walking field has been granted retrospective planning permission by the city council.

Jon Fitter-harding, husband of would-be council leader Ben Fitter-harding, turned a field in Pett Bottom into a facility for dog walkers last autumn without official approval. He transformed the former agricultural site near Canterbury into Hugo’s Fun Dog Fields - a space dog owners can hire out online, where they can take pets to exercise off a lead for up to an hour at a cost of £10.

But changes made to the site including dividing it into three secure parcels of land using fencing and creating parking for five vehicles - were completed without planning permission. It meant Mr Fitter-harding was forced to apply retrospectively, with the application first brought before the council’s planning committee last month. The plans have faced backlash from those living in the nearby hamlet of Lynsore Bottom, sparking 27 objections some running up to six pages in length. Opponents raised concerns about noise, increased traffic, and the business’s impact on the landscape.

Upper Hardres Parish Council also objected to the application, saying the business “disturbs the tranquility” of the Kent Downs Area of Natural Beauty. But the plans have also been met with huge support from customers who use the field receiving more than 70 letters of endorsement. Among them is Jonathan Cowe, who uses a wheelchair, andsaidheisabletowalkhis dog thanks to the accessible site. Council officers recommended the application for approval, but councillors failed to reach an agreement and last month deferred their decision.

But at a planning committee meeting last Wednesday, they voted narrowly in favour of approving the application - with seven for it and five against.