Issue - meetings

Application for change of use of land to provide a dog day care facility and associated secure dog walking facility.

Late items received after preparation of main agenda:

A statement has been submitted by the applicant following publication of the report. In summary the points made are:

·                2013- 2016 Hinckley Pets Ltd was set up at Westfield Farm, Keats Lane as the 1^st doggy day care facility in the Hinckley area.

·                In 2016 the business moved to 23c Wood Street, Hinckley. This building was not in a great condition but was centrally located. A retrospective application (16/00883/COU) was refused for reasons of non-compliance with DM19.

·                Cllr Stuart Bray advised it would be unlikely to get planning permission in any commercial premises as it would be difficult to comply with Policy DM19

·                It was recommended to find a site in the Countryside

·                From 2017 to present a barn has been rented at Cold Comfort Farm, Rogues Lane. Retrospective planning permission was applied for (18/00353/FUL)

·                This barn is in the open countryside accessed via a ½ mile private road with public access and several dwellings, business, stables along it.

·                Hinckley Pets Ltd erected an acoustic fence and agreed to a maximum of 10 vehicle movement per day.

·                In this location it was agreed Hinckley Pets Ltd complied with Policy DM04, DM10 & DM18

In light of the officer report the Applicant wish to address the Committee and bring the following to members attention.

“Planning Officer - The siting of a dog day boarding & walking business at this location within the open countryside would introduce an incongruous and unsustainable form of development which would have a significant adverse impact on the intrinsic value, beauty, open character and landscape character of the countryside and would be contrary to Policy DM4 and DM10 of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies DPD.

·                Section 6 of the NPPF seeks to build a strong, competitive economy. Paragraph 80 of the NPPF states that planning policies and decisions should help create the conditions in which business can invest, expand and adapt

·                Paragraph 83 of the NPPF seeks that policies and decisions enable, the sustainable growth and expansion of all types of business in rural areas, both through conversion of existing buildings and well designed new buildings

·                The LPA to deal with the application, through ongoing negotiation and must work with the applicant in a positive and proactive manner

·                The LPA representative has not sought to consider Section 6 of the NPPF section 80 or 83.  They equally have not engaged with us in a positive or proactive manner to seek solutions with problems

·                The proposal would be sustainable & in essence be a replica of the site at Rogues Lane that met DM4 & DM10 and was accepted at the planning committee in 2018

·                4 other similar proposals, listed below, were all within the open countryside & were considered ‘sustainable’. These were: 18/00353/FUL Hinckley Pets in Home Limited, Rogues Lane Hinckley (largely unseen), 17/00117/COU The Pingles, Dog Day Care  ...  view the full agenda text for item 215

Application for change of use of land to provide a dog day care facility and associated secure dog walking facility.

During presentation of the application the recommendation was amended to include delegation of authority to the Planning Manager to determine the final details of the reasons for refusal.

An objector and the applicant spoke on this application.

It was moved by Councillor R Allen, seconded by Councillor Smith and

RESOLVED –

(i)            Permission be refused for the reasons contained in the officer’s report;

(ii)          Authority be delegated to the Planning Manager to determine the final details of the reasons for refusal.