Dog groomer had to jump through hoops to get her new pet parlour up and running

SHE DECIDED TO OPEN NEW PREMISES EARLY DUE TO RED TAPE DELAY

- By JOSEPH CONNOLLY

WHEN Cerys Nangle’s award-winning dog grooming business became so successful it outgrew its premises, a former pharmacy seemed to be the perfect new home.

The 28-year-old has run West Bridgford Pet Parlour since 2022. But moving into the empty unit on Loughborough Road has not been as seamless as she had hoped.

“It’s taken forever” explained Cerys’ mum, Deborah, who helps her out. “We're only changing use but we've had to do a full planning application - get plans drawn up of the whole building, a map from the library, and pay £588”

The family said that, under Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning rules, a pharmacy is building use class E, for “commercial, business and service uses” - but a dog-grooming business falls into the “sui generis” (unique) class.

Before 2020, dog-grooming businesses were classed as sui generis nationally, according to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (England) Regulations. But an amendment to these laws in 2020 put grooming parlours into Class E. Councils across the UK have adopted this policy since - but Rushcliffe has not.

As a result Cerys had to submit a full planning application, costing £588, rather than merely applying for a change of use.