Plans for dog training centre muzzled over noise

An applicant has been told to sit its plans for a dog training centre in Surfleet amid concerns over noise.

Hayley Laches had hoped for change of use permission for land off Gubboles Drove to open at times between 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and 9am to 7pm, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.

Five councillors, both Gosberton and Surfleet parish councils and “a number of” members of the public objected, while the report to South Holland District Council’s  deciding Planning Committee did say how many (16 supported) the application.

Access to the site would have been over a strip of land owned by Gosberton Parish Council which stated in the report would not allow it.

Mrs Laches told the meeting that the land had a public right of access.

Planning chair James Avery decided this was a civil matter rather than a planning matter and could not affect the decision.

The application had previously been deferred by the authority’s Planning Committee to get more information from the applicant, Highways and South Holland District Council’s Environmental Protection.

While Highways raised no objections to the proposal, the latter maintained its objection over concerns on the level of noise.

Coun Bryan Alcock said: “We’ve other examples throughout the district where there’s issues constantly about dogs barking and it’s incredible how far the noise travels.

“There’s a concern that if we’d got an enforcement process that has demonstrated itself in the past to be effective, one would be more comfortable.

“My experience is if someone is affected it’s one heck of a job to utilise the system as it’s supposed to be used. To think they (local residents) would be saddled with that for a large amount of time is worrying.

“I wish we could be more comfortable that the enforcement could be more effectively controlled.”

Despite Mrs Laches telling the committee noise mitigation measures were planned the refusal was unanimously passed by the committee.

Coun Paul Redgate said: “If we grant it we’re going to be inundated with complaints about noise coming from the site.

“We’ll be going backwards and forwards with residents and the applicants.”