Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Continued from Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): Brian?

Cllr Brian Kenny: Yeah, thank you Chair, well I’m mind to support the application. First of all the principle as I understand it, we can only make decisions here on sound planning reasons, for no other, no other sort of reasons. I think if you look at the hours that are being proposed I think they are reasonable, anybody would accept that they are reasonable hours, we’re not talking about dogs being groomed at eleven o’clock at night so, errm I think Saturday afternoons and Sundays, I think the hours are reasonable.

Err I think that … also as I say that the conditions are that the garage is soundproofed so we’re not talking about dogs howling day and night. I think if you look at some of the on the late list, some of the reasons objecting to this talks about aggressive dogs. Now I don’t think we could actually reject an application due to dogs which might be aggressive dogs. If there’s aggressive dogs in society it should be dealt within the existing legislation and I don’t think that is an argument itself for actually rejecting this particular application.

Also dogs fouling on the pavement, again I’m quite happy that if dogs foul the pavement it’s up to the owners of the dog to make sure that that dog fouling is cleared up so I don’t think it’s an argument against the planning application we’ve got before us now and it talks about unacceptable hours of operation, as I see it the hours that are being proposed the applicant has said she’s happy with. I don’t think there are the reasons that are acceptable. I think for those reasons, I can’t see any sound planning reasons to reject the application and on that basis I’m minded to support the application. Thank you Chair.

Continues at Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Continued from Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): Yes?

Cllr Steve Foulkes Chair, it’s, it’s similar lines. Errm, we often have applicants err come forward err and we believe that they stated to be serving police officers. Unfortunately the application has been personalised and that application would go with the property, so whether we pass a policy that applies to a police officer or whatever to have that permission.

My issue is again a similar piece, we often are told that conditions are only reasonable if they can be enforced and to my mind it would be errm unworkable … to know the difference at certain times of the day would be very, very difficult and maybe not this applicant or maybe any future inhabitant of or future holders of the planning permission by virtue of being this policy. So, so I am being …ed because I think from my own knowledge of projects these are probably where the growth might exist for small employment uses in the whole in the …. area.

Would I be happy and I hold my hand up on my heart as best I could, would I be happy because our next door neighbour put in this application and it come? I think my answer would be probably not and I will see what the reasons for refusal are.

Continues at Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Continues from Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.

Cllr Paul Hayes: Thanks Chair, normally unusually really for me I’m quite conflicted on this one in so far as I’ve heard the evidence and I’ve not made up my mind at present. I think I err completely agree with errm Cllr Realey in terms of you know it’s commendable what the applicant wants to do in terms of setting up a business etc, but what I do worry about is the precedent that this would have to create.

I’m thinking in particular about my own ward where there’s two established dog grooming businesses within a town centre area, what would I to say to those business owners? You needn’t have bothered occupying this area of Wallasey Village which you know needs new businesses coming into it, you could’ve just set up in a garage.

I’m worried about the argument that this sort of business could start cropping up in other parts of the Borough although I think you know the intentions of the applicant are entirely commendable and I do think that some of the objections are somewhat overstated as well but nonetheless I think that the request is … directed by the planning officers.

In addition we’re always told about looking at the enforceability of the conditions that we put on applications and I just harbour concerns about how we would enforce the condition of x number of dogs at any particular time, I’m sure we don’t have the manpower to ensure that if those conditions are breached.

Continues at Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Continues from Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): OK, so are there any questions?

Cllr David Elderton (Conservative spokesperson): Thank you Chair, I think councillors that the petitioner in his very articulate way of articulating many of the concerns I have about this proposal and knowing what problems dogs can cause if they’re not under control or are out and running in a domestic residential environment, I think that’s asking for trouble if we allow this proposal to proceed. Errm, I’m quite happy to put forward my reasons for refusal on this proposal Chair, the proposal proposed is considered inappropriate in a residential area but I’d be interested to hear first what others have to say on this matter.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): Denise?

Cllr Denise Realey: Thank you Chair and I don’t actually have a problem with it. All I can see is a younger woman just trying to make a little bit of a business for her, you know, to make a little bit of extra cash and I can’t really see the problem. It’s not going to be a nuisance, it’s going to be noise proofed and everything else and I just can’t see what you’re talking about. We’re talking five dogs per a day and we’re not talking about anything that would lead to a disturbance of the area. You know I live right opposite a dog grooming business and I never hear anything, not one peep out of them. I just don’t have a problem with this and I hope you know ….

Continues at http://johnbrace.com/2013/07/05/planning-committee-wirral-council-27th-june-2013-app1300574-5-speedwell-drive-barnston-ch60-2sy-change-of-use-of-garage-to-dog-grooming-parlour-6/.

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour

Continues from Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.

Sarah Dawson (applicant): Yes, I’m Sarah Dawson.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): So, if you’d just like to come errm to the microphone to speak.

Sarah Dawson (applicant): My name is Sarah Dawson and you’ve got a petition before us, so business and the intention is to start up a dog grooming business in my garage and we gave our consideration to the plans submitted with the application as follows.

The aesthetics of our location, our house is on semi-detached land on the edge of a housing estate situated, situated off the main thorough fare into Heswall. Our homestead is approximately £80,000 to £90,000 and the intention is to make minor alterations to the garage in order to accommodate this start-up business/hobby.

As it says, we’re not of a scale to change to the character of the area so we’ll retain the garage door which will not be in use. Equally living in the area that will be subject to …the plans.. to the changes to the area. The alterations to the rear of the garage will largely be minimal and very slight such as electricity, water and drainage that are already taking place. The good … is that the soundproofing and insulation which will take place will minimise our neighbours being disturbed, the noise would be being a hair dryer, clippers and an occasional bark so that would be generally very quiet.

Pre-consultation with an officer from environmental health, we’ve agreed to these conditions, which are reasonable, both for my … and the local residents. These being operating hours of 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm Saturday and at no time on Sundays or Bank Holiday Mondays. There’ll be no more than five dogs per a day and no more than two dogs at any one time.

There’ll be soundproofing to the structure to the Northwest elevation. No other area, other area of our house and the larger area will be including in the production of the business. These conditions ensure the business will be carried out… of the opening hours… and both myself and my partner are serving police officers and we have careers, so the business will be run strictly on a part-time basis and not be operated outside the opening hours.

The business will be run on a strictly appointment only basis for up to five clients, who will either park in the driveway where there’s ample parking for three vehicles, or bring their dog by foot, which in my experience is the clear option of customers. The increase in volume of traffic will be minimal and obviously we’re at the entrance to a busy estate. In addition there will be one family pet delivery van every two to three months providing items such as shampoo.

Errm obviously addressing the point about aggressive dogs and errm dogs that would be out of control, as I said earlier on I’m a police officer, I’m fully aware of the issue that we’d be encountering in this and as such I’m proposing errm we raise a contract with my intended customers, that there’s an agreement that they bring their dogs to mine controlled under control on a lead and if there’s any idea that a dog would be unsuitable for the location then they don’t bring their dog or it has a muzzle on its head.

Errm, I hope this application is considered favourably and has given me the opportunity to prove that this hobby business will have a minimal impact on my direct neighbours and no direct impact on surrounding properties. Thank you.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): Thank you very much. Does the ward councillor wish to speak?

Continues at Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) APP/13/00574 5 Speedwell Drive, Barnston, CH60 2SY Change of use of garage to dog grooming parlour.