A ‘much needed’ facility for dog training in Newchurch on the Isle of Wight — which attracted mixed feedback — has been turned down.
Plans had been proposed to turn a former agricultural field, at West Meath Nursery in Newchurch into a dog ‘paradise’.
It was described as a secure area suitable for furry-legged friends who could not ordinarily be let off their lead. Neighbours had previously raised concerns over a lack of privacy and peace as well as an increase in noise disturbance and nuisance.
A wave of support did come from dog owners across the Island, but the positivity was not enough to convince the Isle of Wight Council to approve the plans.
The authority rejected the application for the facility earlier this month.
A total of 15 letters of objection were received, with many saying it was an unsuitable location for business use and that there would be no benefit to the village as it was unlikely to be used by residents. Concerns were also raised about dog waste.
Opposing those concerns, 16 letters of support were sent to the council saying it would be a ‘much-needed, useful facility’ for visitors and local residents, nervous and reactive dogs would benefit and the use of a booking system would reduce traffic and control noise. Evaluating the application, council officers said dog training can be noisy and intrusive so the number of dogs on site at one time would be limited but that would not necessarily mean dogs would be quiet.
A series of visiting dogs throughout the day could mean a continuous level of disturbance, officers said, which would change the tranquil nature of the village and no information had been provided to say otherwise.
Officers said while a facility may be useful for challenging dogs, it should not be at the expense of neighbours’ living conditions. In its decision notice, the planning authority said the proposed business would not meet a specific local need or contribute to the sustainability of the wider countryside.
With the likely increase in vehicle movements, the council felt the change would have a potential harmful impact on the safety and convenience of highway users.
This is so ridiculous that it was turned down and yet again, has ruined a great service for customers and a sustainable business idea for the Island economy.
However, support should have been requested much more widely from dog owners like me, who knew nothing of this until now. Loads of Facebook dog groups, for example, would support such a great facility.
Owners who use such facilities are generally doing so because they’re responsible dog lovers and WILL pick up poo, not permit noise, etc so I hope an appeal will be made and for once, the Island nimbys won’t prevail.
Good luck and please try again.
Come to Ryde, can do what you want here. That’s if you can find any green space without a housing estate planned.
if a councillor wanted to build a house on it that would be ok. what is it with this council if there was a brown envelope i bet it would get a yes
Much needed dog training facility what rubbish. Give them permission then a couple of years later planning permission goes in for houses
Spot on. A field covered in dogs excreted Chum or Pal will result in flies and germs.
As we know once permitted then it will go broke after a short time BUT will then gain easy planning permission via a change of use from brown field to building land. Ban it
One of the reasons why we don’t get anything new on this island, too many people wanting to moan about anything and everything, plus the council being greedy and rather use that land for building something that earns them more such as houses. Not much hope of getting anything approved these days unless it earns the council their little bit.
It’s like a stagnant pond down here.
Does a councillor live in Newchurch by any chance that doesn’t want it?