Derbyshire dog exercise centre operating without permission for years now approved

The facility, near Castle Gresley, applied for permission in December 2020 and has been operating without permission since then

A Derbyshire dog walking centre, which had been operating without planning permission, has now been given the go-ahead to continue welcoming pet owners. DIY Dogs Play has been operating from Sandy Lane, in the countryside less than a mile west of Castle Gresley near Swadlincote, for four years without permission.

At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting last night (Tuesday, October 1) councillors approved the dog exercise park, which offers bookable slots for private use on a floodlit, fully enclosed field. Councillors raised concerns about the facility having floodlights in the countryside, but concluded that it was isolated enough from other homes to avoid a negative impact.

A total of 21 objections had been received against the plans, focusing on road safety, drainage, and light pollution, but officers clarified that the vast majority of these had been filed shortly after the initial application had been filed in December 2020, not during its operation. Meanwhile, 18 letters of support had been submitted to the council aiming to back a new business providing an “essential service” and meeting public demand.

The application had been filed in December 2020 and the council says: “The application was one of the backlog of cases that was referred to the council’s consultants at Planning and Design Group who prepared a recommendation on the information available at the time.” Councillors were dismayed at the lack of trees on the site and pushed for more landscaping to be replaced, with a commitment to obscure the fencing from view.

They also questioned the removal of sheds on the site, which were to be the focus of bat roosting surveys, which are said to have collapsed since the application was submitted. The dog exercise site operates from 8am until 10pm, 365 days a year, with flood lighting permitted from 7am to enable use by the adjoining Dogs Play Daycare facility.

Other than the home owned by the applicants adjacent to the site, the nearest home is 250 metres away. Council consultants, recommending approval, had written: “It is considered that on balance and with the imposition of appropriate conditions and the need to provide sustainable business opportunities in rural areas outweighs the concerns raised by residents.”

Cllr Amy Wheelton said the floodlights from the site could be seen “half a mile away” and often saw them while driving back to Walton-on-Trent. She said she “despaired” that Derbyshire County Council had not objected, saying she had to pull her vehicle out halfway across Sandy Lane to exit the site.

Cllr Wheelton said the hours and number of days a year could be excessive and asked councillors to consider restrictions. Cllr Kalila Storey said she knew of the business and had used it herself, saying it is “very well run”. Cllr David Muller said: “It is in the middle of nowhere, it really is. It is an extremely well-run business.”

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