You're barking!

Wednesday 03 August 2016

Residents of St Mary are biting back at plans to build a £5million kennel facility for 100 dogs at Crabbe.

St Mary’s Roads Committee says it’s “strongly opposed” to the proposal, and some nearby residents are also complaining, saying the development is out of keeping with the area.

The JSPCA Animals’ Shelter wants to convert two barns at La Pepiniere Farm and an adjoining field on La Rue de Crabbe into a complex to house 100 dogs with associated facilities and a home for a warden. The work would also involve levelling land, putting up fencing and building a plant area to the west of the site. The total cost is estimated at £5million.

The Animals’ Shelter says the kennels would be used both to board dogs and to house abandoned dogs. It says there’s been a major rise in the number of abandoned dogs and the extra facilities are desperately needed.

The JSPCA would still continue to operate out of its current St Saviour site but says because it is so cramped the new location is essential. It says it’s spent the past 30 years looking for a suitable site.

The Animals’ Shelter Chief Executive Major Stephen Coleman says, “...the development is a significant win, win for the Society and Islanders as the new facility will allow the Society to develop further its services to Islanders with companion animals whilst allowing for greater development of the educational services provided by the Society enabling it to branch out to a full time City and Guilds level 3 animal care course in union with Highlands College and the establishment of a local Veterinary Nurses Training College in partnership with Myerscough Veterinary College.”

But St Mary’s Roads Committee doesn’t think the development is such a good idea and has written to Planning. The committee is worried about the extra traffic, the effect this might have on noise levels, and the possible dangers it posses for pedestrians and cyclists in an area of predominantly green lanes.

In its letter the committee says: “...there are considerable difficulties in accessing the site which is surrounded on all sides by the Green Lane Network. Any increase in traffic due to this application and to any future potential applications for the remainder of the site is to be regretted. The Roads Committee does not seek to provide a solution to that but wishes to stress again that it is fundamentally opposed to the traffic management plan detailed as part of this application.”

In submissions from the public, as well as concerns over traffic, objectors say the development is too big, and have expressed worries over the noise created by up to 100 barking dogs.

According to Paul Hefford “...no matter how good the sound barriers are, you can not stop a chain reaction with barking dogs even if there is someone with them, the dogs will also not be inside at all times, can you confirm that during outdoor play time the dogs will not be barking and cause a chain reaction to other dogs not only at the Animals’ Shelter but in surrounding homes.”

But the JSPCA’s Major Coleman says “...the kennels have been designed to the very latest specifications for animal welfare in totally sealed buildings in order to minimise the escape of noise to below the noise level one could normally expect in a rural area.” 

Planning will hear the application on Thursday 22^nd September.