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07
Nov
Concerns raised over Harrogate dog day care plans
Concerns have been raised over retrospective plans for a Harrogate dog day care site.
The Harrogate Dog Day Care, which currently occupies part of Strayside House on West Park, is seeking retrospective approval for the change of use from an office to a dog day care facility.
Owner Sarah Smith started operating at the site in April. The plans say part of the first floor will be used as overnight accommodation for dogs, while the second floor will be the day care area.
Ms Smith has also erected metal fencing in the car park, which plans say will be used as a dog exercise area, but no external changes to the building are proposed.
A planning document says:
The proposal seeks to change the use of (part of) an existing office building. Policy GS5 encourages the retention of B1 office space, however the second floor of [the] property was vacant for over three years and the first floor tenants vacated at the end of their lease, when the property continued to be advertised prior to the applicant taking on the lease.
The demand for the property was very limited for office provision of this type and the doggy care use was the only serious enquiry.
The layout of the property will be unchanged and can accommodate office use in the future, should the applicant vacate.
The application adds Harrogate Dog Day Care benefits dog owners who walk to work in the centre of Harrogate, as well as people who work from home and live within walking distance of the town centre.
The service also helps people who commute to work in Harrogate, including people from Sheffield and Manchester, as they able to leave their dogs at the day care and can drop them off and collect them at a reasonable time, plans also say.
The town centre location is described as the “key driver for customers”, with planning documents adding the business “would not be as successful if it were to be located out of the town centre” as the number of working and commuting customers would not be as attracted to the facility.
The back of the facility and part of the erected fencing.
Residents 'extremely concerned over noise'
But residents of Prince of Wales Mansions next to Strayside House, have raised concerns about noise.
Dr David Holmes, the director of Prince of Wales Mansions (Harrogate) Ltd, submitted an objection letter on behalf of the residents and the mansions’ board.
The letter, seen by the Stray Ferret, says:
Many of our residents are disturbed and upset by the volume of barking from the dogs over the past six-seven months. Evidence of noise detrimental to mental health has been, and will be, submitted to environmental protection using the nuisance monitoring form in the noise nuisance pack issued by North Yorkshire Council.
We are extremely concerned about the volume of noise from barking dogs when - or if - the facility with an outdoor dog run/play area becomes fully operational.
Fellow objector Elizabeth Marchbank-Gilbey, who is a Prince of Wales Mansions resident, says she is “often disturbed” by barking dogs.
Ms Marchbank-Gilbey feels the Harrogate Dog Day Care would be better suited on the outer parts of the town or in a more rural area. She also raised concerns over potential smells that could come from the site.
The back of the facility and part of the erected fencing.
Soundproof kennels
Harrogate Dog Day Care’s planning documents respond to the residents’ noise concerns.
The planning agent said a noise management plan is required to be assessed to achieve a dog day care license, which was granted to the business in April, while the dog handover is done inside to minimise the time the dogs are outside.
The plans also say dogs would sleep in "soundproof kennels" to prevent noise from the overnight service, and rear-facing windows are kept shut to trap noise.
Dr Holmes' letter also raised concerns about people parking on West Park to drop-off and collect their dogs, but plans say there at least 18 available spaces in the car park, which provide ample opportunity for dog owners to park.
The Stray Ferret approached the Harrogate Dog Day Care about the objections. We asked Ms Smith if she wanted to respond to the concerns raised.
She said:
The Harrogate Dog [Day Care] have refined and improved their processes since opening in April 2024. New noise management processes have been implemented and this is going well. We continue to work with the animal licence team for input, as there are other urban dog day care centres in the UK which manage noise levels successfully.
We serve local customers’ needs, which are high in demand, as shown in our five star Google reviews and client endorsements.
We support the community with a dog food bank on Wednesdays for anyone who is struggling to afford to feed their dogs. We are working with Disability Action Yorkshire to provide work placements for disabled adults.
In the first year of business for a dog day care centre, the legislation cannot grant more than two stars. This is the maximum star rating a business can achieve in year one. The Harrogate Dog [Day Care] was awarded two out of two stars for its superb premises it provides for dogs.
Ms Smith also directed the Stray Ferret to a recent Parliamentary debate on dog day care in urban areas.
Dame Meg Hillier, a Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, told the House urban dog day care facilities help working people – especially as the number of dog owners increased after the pandemic.
Urban dog day services have benefits to animal welfare, Dame Hillier said, adding they help people who may want their dog looked after near their homes, rather than travelling to rural areas to drop them off.
North Yorkshire Council will adjudicate on the plans at a later date.
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