A dog-walking paddock and training facility in Yorkshire has been unanimously approved after receiving overwhelming public support, with more than 300 residents and customers backing the plans.

Rotherham Council’s planning board gave the go-ahead on Wednesday (Nov 27), despite a handful of objections from neighbours worried about barking, traffic and the impact of increased activity on Blackamoor Road, Swinton.

The paddock, based at Strawberry Cottage, has been used informally for several years, but planning officers said the scale of sessions had grown enough to require formal permission. The site covers around 0.9 hectares, stretching behind the cottage into woodland and out toward Blackamoor Road.

No buildings will be added, but an overspill parking area will be created behind an existing wall to help manage demand.

The application attracted significant interest from the community during consultation. Supporters praised the paddock as professional, well-run and a much-needed space for dogs that require secure exercise areas. Some highlighted its role in improving dog behaviour and offering a safe alternative for nervous or reactive pets.

Mr D Malone, one of the applicants, told the meeting that the business is part of the community, and works alongside local charities, colleges, and other businesses.

Mr Malone added: “Nobody wants to hear a dog barking all day and to ruin their covenant freehold enjoyment of their property. I completely agree.

“However, the background noise, as outlined in the report, is 44 decibels at 10 meters. That’s assuming five dog barks per hour.

"The issue that we have is that the distance between our property and any other property is a minimum of 50 meters. The resulting noise would be significantly below background decibels.

“There is no evidence to show that the noise is going to cause any issue to day to day life.”

Around nine objections were submitted, mostly from residents to the north and east. They raised concerns about noise from barking dogs, increased vehicle movements, the accuracy of a one-day noise survey and the proximity of activities to homes and public footpaths.

One objector, Mr Foss, said that the council’s conclusion of the application ‘defied common sense,’ and called for the land to be ‘preserved for future generations’.

“It’s a good job I’m not a nurse on night shift,” he added.

“Which one of you would volunteer for this at the bottom of your garden? The conclusion of the council that the noise from the jobs isn’t his statutory nuisance and doesn’t have a detrimental effect on the nearby residents, defies common sense. The potential for so many dogs to bark throughout the day is clearly detrimental. To suggest this is diluted by residents dogs and public customers….is also nonsense.”

A council report pointed out that not all dog noise in the area could be linked to the paddock. During the noise survey, barking was also recorded from dogs on nearby public land such as Pottery Ponds, which is used heavily by local walkers. Environmental health officers said this made it difficult to determine how much noise, if any, came from the business itself.

Planning officers concluded the paddock is an acceptable Green Belt use, would not harm the openness of the landscape and would not significantly affect neighbours’ amenity or highway safety.

Councillors voted to approve the application in line with the officer recommendation.