Councillors allow hunt kennels to move despite dozens of objections

Councillors have allowed kennels used by Holderness Hunt to move to another rural location 11 miles away despite dozens of objections.

Some dog owners in Arnold are worried they’ll run into problems when the hounds are being exercised, and that they could also be disturbed by noise and smell and roads being fouled.

A villager told a meeting at County Hall, Beverley, people would live "in constant fear" of running into a pack of "non domesticated" hounds when they were out walking their own dogs.

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She said they were also concerned about the presence of hunt supporters as well as anti-hunt sabs, adding: "The hounds are free to roam and defecate where they choose. I can't think of any benefits of this proposal to the community but only considerable harm to the current peace of life."

The Holderness HuntThe Holderness Hunt
The Holderness Hunt

However joint master of the hunt William Bethell, who owns Arnold Grange, where the kennels will be based said their long-standing arrangement to house the dogs at Etton was coming to an end.

He said after switching to trail hunting the pack had reduced in size to just 40 hounds - 20 hound "couples".”(The kennels at) Etton are massive - they could house five times that number. The Old English bloodline dates back 200 plus years. One of my forbears was master in 1765.

"We would like to build modern high welfare kennels to keep the bloodlines going into the 21st century."

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He said the site was 1km from the nearest houses and they'd had no objections to the plans from the statutory consultees.

He said there was no public footpath near the proposed kennels, the hounds weren't "at all dangerous" to other dogs - and the decision would have a significant effect on the future of Holderness Hunt.

Councillor Diana Stewart said she had never smelt, heard or noticed nuisance from the hounds currently based on the outskirts of Etton.

She said: "It is not relevant whether I am pro or anti trail hunting, this is a planning application about which buildings will be erected. I can see no reason why this shouldn't go ahead."

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Councillor Thomas Robson added: "I am not a great lover of this type of sport but my feelings aside, this is a countryside pursuit located in the countryside which is totally appropriate.

"I can't see a reason to refuse it."

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