Fourth time lucky for ‘staycation’ kennels scheme

Bruce Sinclair Local Democracy Reporter

A ‘staycation’ dog boarding and day care centre, refused on multiple occasions and dismissed on appeal, has now been granted after a fourth call for it to go ahead.

Michelle Bramwell, of Little Langdon, near Kilgetty, south Pembrokeshire, had submitted re-sited plans for a commercial dog boarding and day care centre at Little Langdon following the previously-refused applications and an appeal.

A supporting statement by agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd said: “The application involves the erection of a single boarding kennels building providing a total of 12 kennels together with various ancillary facilities, with upgrading of the existing vehicular access together with parking, landscaping and biodiversity enhancements.

Prior refusal

The application follows on from three previous applications for a similar form of development, which were refused by the council with the more recent application also having been dismissed at appeal in October 2023.

“This planning practice has been brought in to seek a solution for the development of the site. Having reviewed the previous applications and the appeal decision, the scheme has been reviewed with a materially different proposal now being presented for consideration by the council. The revisions made are significant and have significantly reduced the impact of the development with additional planting and provision of a hedgebank.”

It said that, while dismissing the appeal, “the Inspector concluded that such a business in this location could be acceptable in principle, the Inspector expressed concerns over the scale, siting and visual impact of the proposed development and how possible outdoor noise disturbance from associated activities could be satisfactorily controlled, such as through mitigation measures”.

It concluded: “In our view, the changes made are such to in effect to represent a materially different scheme from that which was before the Inspector in 2023. Further, certain aspects of the proposal, including its layout and operation, have been clarified by the applicant.”

“Useful service”

The agent, in previous applications has said: “One of the key benefits of such a proposal, as fully acknowledged by the appeal Inspector, was that with the proximity of several local visitor attractions it would provide a useful service to their customers, amongst other clients.

“As part of the appeal application, it was contended that with staycation on the rise and the increase in pet ownership, boarding kennels and day care services are in demand.

“The proposal would allow tourists to visit, knowing their dogs can board within a reasonable distance of their holiday accommodation. It would allow tourists to visit nearby attractions which quite often have no-pets policies, such as Oakwood, Manor Wildlife Park, the dinosaur park, Heatherton and Folly Farm.”

The latest proposal was granted conditional approval by Pembrokeshire County Council planning officers on December 23.