It’s a ‘ruff’ life living next to kennels, residents tell Bedford planners

The Sunrise Boarding Kennels in Great North Road, Chawston, has applied for permission to add a six-unit cattery to the long-established rural business.

And some of the neighbours, who themselves own dogs, have taken the opportunity to vent their spleen.

“There is already an issue with noise from this business,” one of the objecting neighbours has told the borough planners.

“Each time a vehicle drops off or collects a dog, our dog barks, our neighbours’ dogs bark and all the dogs in the kennels bark, so there can be up to 50 dogs barking all at once which creates a huge amount of noise.”

There were also objections to more cars using the private road, breaking the 5mph speed limit. Because it is a private road, paid for by residents, the added traffic would ‘impact on the maintenance of the road.’

“The users of the boarding kennels tend to be inconsiderate and are a nuisance with unnecessary speeding,” said one objector. There was also an objection to “another unsightly building”.

Applicant Mr John Holdaway says the kennels business, which has been going since 2009, has been a success and now employs four staff, three full-time and one part-time.

He says that dog owners using the boarding kennels also own cats and have asked if they could be boarded at the same time as their dogs. No more than 48 dogs can be on the site at any one time, the planners say.

Planning officers, in recommending approval with conditions, say they consider the proposal to be a small one.

“Objections raised also relate to additional noise and disturbance,” says the planners’ report. “However, cats are significantly quieter than dogs and they are not able to access the outside during their stay. Any noise from cats would therefore be barely perceptible if perceptible at all.”

They go on to say that the “additional number of daily movements and thus additional vehicular noise would be limited.”

The issue is due to be considered by Bedford Borough Council’s planning committee on Monday, with officers recommending approval for plans to build a cattery building, and change the use of the site.