Dog kennel business near Battle approved

On Thursday (April 15), Rother District Council planners approved an application to use land at Woodlands Farm in Netherfield Road as a kennelling business able to house up to 25 dogs.

While it was recommended for approval, the scheme had seen objections from a number of residents, largely over the potential for noise and disturbance in a rural area.

Some of these concerns were voiced by ward councillor Kathryn Field (Lib Dem), who said: “It is outside the development boundary and is in the AONB. That is about more than landscape, the [local plan] in fact talks about ‘tranquilty’ which brings us to the core matter; the noise.

“It is a difficult issue, because it is subjective, but however you measure noise, the measurement is only relevant when the noise is being made. Industrial noise happens between certain hours and it is continuous. Dogs barking is totally unpredictable and therefore much more disruptive. 

“Keeping dogs inside won’t stop them barking dogs will react to other dogs not just those within their own kennels so I think the mitigation of the noise is a really difficult question.”

She added: “I think it is very sad to see someone really enthusiastically trying to start a new business, but I genuinely believe this is the wrong place to do it.”