‘Plans for kennels near our homes are barking’
RESIDENTS have lashed out at plans to set up a boarding kennel for up to 32 dogs close to their homes.
The application, submitted by a Mr J Bailey, would see the new boarding kennel built on a field off Bent Lane, in Church Broughton.
A petition signed by 34 objecting residents has been submitted to South Derbyshire District Council. In addition, 30 objection letters have also be submitted, many of which are from the same residents who signed the petition.
They fear that the dogs will cause “unacceptable” noise disturbance and have a “severe impact on residents enjoying their homes and gardens”.
Council officers have recommended that members of the authority’s planning committee approve the application.
The development would take place in a field behind a house in Bent Lane, known as Greenacre. The proposed business would be run by the tenant of the house.
It would contain 14 kennels, capable of accommodating 28-32 dogs. The remainder of the field would be used for exercise space.
One objecting resident stated: “The barking of dogs will cause noise disturbance. I live in Church Broughton and dogs can be heard from over half a mile away.”
Another objector said: “Dogs are pack ani- mals and are likely to make a lot of noise due to separation/new dogs being introduced.”
A third resident said: “There is no mention of dogs barking at night which is a concern as dogs can bark as loud as 80-90 decibels or even 100 decibels. So 28 dogs barking at this level must be considered.”
The applicants say that there is a shortfall of boarding kennel space in South Derbyshire. Of 36 licensed “animal boarding establishments” in the district, 13 are boarding kennels. It is estimated by the applicants that there are 63,645 dogs in South Derbyshire, with a further 18,927 by 2028, based on the average number per household.
The applicant says: “These figures demonstrate that by 2028 each of the 13 kennels will need to have 17.23 kennel spaces available every day of the year to cope with demand. If the application is granted to increase the boarding kennels to 14 then this still requires every kennel to have 16 kennel spaces available every day.”
The kennels would provide jobs for one full-time employee and an apprentice.
The applicant states: “South Derbyshire is expanding significantly and has an aboveaverage requirement for boarding kennels.
“Greenacre is perfectly located to provide additional facilities and would provide boarding kennels built to the latest adopted licence model.
“The proposed development would provide consumer choice, located within a short drive of all areas of the county and bring employment and investment in the local area.”
It says the kennels would cost £70,000 and bring in between £110,000 to £150,000 each year.
Dogs which do not calm down on arrival and are persistently loud will not be allowed to stay. A noise impact consultant hired by the applicant stated: “It is understood that under normal conditions the only time the dogs are likely to bark is at feeding times.
“It is very unlikely all the dogs will bark at the same time, or for any sustained period.”
Council officers say that any agreed noise management policy for the site would be reviewed each year to make sure the owners of the business are enforcing it, so changes can be made if needed.
Councillor officers agree that the application could impact on residents. However, recommending approval, they said: “While the application has the potential to cause harm to neighbour amenity, these potential impacts appear to be made acceptable through the imposition of conditions.”
Dogs are pack animals and are likely to make a lot of noise due to separation.