Dog boarding firm's bid for new kennels is rejected

A dog boarding business's application to build a new and improved kennels facility has been blocked by council development chiefs, following concerns about negative impacts on the Green Belt.

- by Chris Binding

Sunderland City Council's planning department has refused an application for the Ferry Farm site, in Offerton Lane near South Hylton.

The site, which sits within the Green Belt, is home to the Ferry Farm Boarding Kennels & Cattery, which, according to its website, offers "personal and friendly service providing day care, short and long-term cat and dog boarding at affordable prices."

Plans submitted earlier this year sought permission to "replace" an "existing 18-unit kennel building with [a] new 18-unit kennel building", including a new "covered indoor exercise area" along with "additional support" to an existing rear boundary wall structure alongside Offerton Lane.

A design and access statement from applicants said the proposed new kennels accommodation had been designed for its "energy efficiency" but also for "the retention of staff members and their well-being and for the continuing satisfaction/ retention of the animals' owners themselves".

The design and access statement confirmed the design of the new building had been "directly influenced" by the planning approval of the "recently constructed 11-unit cattery building located to the north of this proposed new building site (application no 23/01648/FUL)".

It was noted that the existing 18-unit kennel building would be "taken down in stages to allow for the continuing occupancy of this boarding facility throughout its redevelopment", with "internal pod partitioning units being retained until the new units are fit enough for reoccupation".

Applicants said the kennels development's design had been "driven by key considerations" including the "wider context of development in a rural location within the Green Belt".

Those behind the plans said the new building would not be classed as "inappropriate" within the Green Belt, and would meet "very special circumstances" needed to justify development under planning policies.