A new space for dog owners to exercise their pets can open near Stone and Fulford after councillors had given the green light to previously rejected plans.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council refused permission for an earlier application to change agricultural land use at Bird Grove Farm, Hilderstone, to be turned into a dog walking field.
A new application was also recommended for refusal by planning officers, who considered the proposals “unsustainable” because of the Cresswell Road field’s location in open countryside and an increase in regular vehicle trips in an area not well served by public transport. But Staffordshire Moorlands District Council members went against the recommendation and voted to approve the application at their latest meeting.
A statement read out on behalf of Councillor Mark Deaville said:
“I am most surprised to see that the application is recommended for refusal. The ambitions and plans of the applicant should be supported, not rejected.
“This proposal will bring a new facility into the area and will provide an important base for people to visit the district and exercise their dogs in a safe and secure environment, either on or off their leads. The proposal does, in a small way, benefit our tourism and local economy, and whilst the number of visitors may be relatively small it does clearly offer benefit to the community.
“There will be no adverse impact whatsoever to the local area, there have been no negative observations from local residents. I, as the local district, parish and county councillor, fully support this proposal.”
Councillor Gary Bentley, who spoke in support of the plans at the planning committee meeting, also highlighted benefits for tourists if the application was allowed.
“They might come with dogs – at the moment we are struggling with people walking dogs on recreation parks where children are playing”, he said.
“Some facilities people can Google where they take their dog to give it a bit of exercise I welcome. Some people never let their dog off a lead and some dogs like a run around in a field, so a facility like that would be ideal.
“There are 13 million dogs in this country – they’ve got to walk and exercise somewhere. People do travel for these facilities.”
Committee members heard that customers would have to book one-hour slots online before visiting the site and would be issued with a pin code to unlock the gate. The proposals include an area for off-road parking, a dog waste bin and tree planting around the site.
Customers would be restricted to a maximum of four dogs per person at any time. The facility would be open 8am to 8pm during summer months and daylight hours in the winter.
Committee member Councillor Tony Holmes said:
“In this area we are really short of these facilities and this facility is required. You cannot take a new dog and just let it loose in your garden unless it’s really well fenced – you need somewhere to train it and walk it.”
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