Richmond dog exercise field owners appeal against council decision

The owners of a secure dog exercise field near Richmond have appealed against North Yorkshire Council’s refusal to allow longer opening hours and larger group bookings.

Sarah Ansbro and Andrew Mitchell, who run Paddock for Paws at High Wathcote Farm on Darlington Road, say the changes are needed to help the small business remain viable while continuing to offer affordable access for dog owners.

The appeal follows the council’s decision to refuse an application to vary conditions attached to the site’s planning permission.

The owners had sought permission to operate between 6am and 9pm throughout the year, rather than the current seasonal restrictions of 8am to 8pm between March and September and 8am to 5pm from October to February.

They also wanted to increase the number of households allowed to use the field at the same time from two to more than two.

In their appeal, the owners argue they mistakenly failed to include a covering letter explaining the reasons behind the application, believing one was unnecessary after both the council’s highways and environmental health officers raised no objections.

They say extended opening hours would allow customers greater flexibility before and after work, while also helping dog owners avoid exercising their pets during increasingly hot weather.

The appeal states that the business has been forced to close on some days because of high temperatures and that opening earlier or later would help offset lost income.

The owners also say they have not increased prices since opening nearly six years ago and want to keep the facility affordable for both local residents and visitors.

Two objections were submitted to the original application, which was filed in March and refused in May.

One local resident said: “While we have no objection to the extension of hours in the evening, as proposed, we do object strongly to the proposed early morning extension, which would risk the possibility of nuisance noise from dogs barking from 6 am onwards.”

In their appeal, the couple say the objectors live around 400 metres from the field and are separated from it by fields and mature trees, which they believe provide a natural sound barrier.

They add: “They live so far away that I believe it will not affect them.

“They will definitely not get woken up by the noise due to living so far away and having modern double glazing.

“We live on site in a listed building with wooden windows and even we don’t get woken up by noise. I wouldn’t be asking for the extension if we did.”

They add that they live on site and rarely hear dogs barking despite spending much of their time outdoors, arguing that the field is used on a pre-booked basis and that dogs are generally occupied exploring rather than making noise.

They also suggest any early morning bookings could be limited to single households if necessary.

The appeal also argues that allowing more than two households to use the field at once would result in only a small increase in activity, with perhaps one or two extra vehicles, and would not significantly affect neighbouring properties or traffic.