Dogs at Sunderland boarding kennels to get their own exercise park

The city council’s planning department has approved an application for land to the north of Ferry Farm Boarding Kennels in the Pennywell and South Hylton ward.

A slice of unoccupied grazing land will now be transformed to create a private dog exercise park for animals being cared for at the adjacent boarding kennels. No other dogs will be allowed to use it.

An accompanying design and access statement explained that dogs would be “accompanied by their handlers individually or in a group (depending on their individual natures)” and that the development would have a “light and airy outlook”.

It added the scheme’s aim was to provide a safe enclosure for dogs to provide “exercise that they need for a healthy lifestyle”, and council documents confirmed dogs would exercise daily, with two to three dogs typically using the park at any one time.

It was also argued that the plans passed planning policy tests to justify development in the Green Belt and would improve the landscape.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department deemed the plan acceptable and nodded it through on Tuesday.

Council officers said the only element of physical development associated with the change of use was “the erection of some new close boarded fencing as required to delineate and secure the dog exercise area”.

The council decision report adds: “In having regard to the purposes of including land within the Green Belt, the proposed use would result in no material change to the appearance of the site.

“Further, due to the nature of the proposed use, it would not lead to encroachment of the countryside, nor would it result in urban sprawl.”

Planners added that the use “would not intensify the vehicular use” of a bridleway and noted there was no objection to the plans from council highway engineers.

A condition will also be added to the planning permission that only dogs which are staying at the boarding kennels will be able to use the site.