Application to continue using land in Peterborough for breeding dogs delayed

In 2017, a temporary planning permission was given to Ludavic Greenhow of Buffingham Kennels Glinton for the retrospective ‘change of site use’ to allow dog breeding and the retention of a mobile home as well as other timber buildings.

That application expired in March 2019, but Mr Greenhow submitted an additional application for a further extension in February 2019.

Permission was delayed while certain structures on the site were removed and financial documentation showing the viability of the business were to be produced.

At the same time, Mr Greenhow stated that he would limit the number of puppy litters (mostly miniature Schnauzers) to 12 per year, in accordance with Kennel Club rules.

More than a year later the matter came before members of Peterborough City Council’s Planning and Environmental Protection Committee at their meeting on Tuesday where Nick Harding, council head of planning, said: “There has been a long delay in bringing this application before the committee as we have not seen any documentation showing that Mr Greenhow is running a viable business on the site.

“We have also received several complaints from neighbouring properties that he has now extended his living quarters to a second mobile home.

“In addition, Mr Greenhow has requested that three parking spaces be created on the land as customers for his puppies are currently having to leave their cars on Waterworks Lane which is a single-track dirt road with passing places.”

John Dadge, acting as agent for Mr Greenhow, said: “The dog-breeding business was created to allow him to live as he does in his mobile home and breed only as many litters as are legally allowed, mostly miniature Schnauzers.

“In recent months he has added a second much older mobile home to the site, but this is only used as a ‘whelping pen’ for the puppies in order to get them used to living with people. It is not an accommodation as such.

“Mr Greenhow has requested that three parking spaces be created on his land so that people who visit him to see and purchase puppies don’t have to park on the passing place on Waterworks Lane which is both dangerous to them and obstructive to his neighbours traffic movements.

“It is quite incorrect to say that Mr Greenhow does not have a viable business and indeed he has passed his business records through to the council for their appraisal, but it would seem these may have been somehow mislaid.

“As the applicant, Mr Greenhow seeks planning permission for the continued use of the land and the siting of the mobile home in connection with the kennels which is his only business and only source of income.

“This application is made for a further two years, with the amended proposal for the three parking spaces on land to the west of the kennels area.”

Cllr Peter Hiller had a question about noise that had been raised as a complaint by a neighbour, and said: “Mr Greenhow, I understand that you use a very noisy generator on your land and that this is used for a number of hours both day and night. Can you tell me please what the generator is for and why it is used so much?”

Mr Greenhow replied: “The generator is quite noisy I admit, but I don’t use it 24/7 like they say I do, no later than 10pm anyhow. It’s for charging my power tools.

“The mobile home is heated by Calor Gas and uses solar panels for power that I have on the roof, but they’re just not strong enough to re-charge the tools.”

Members voted by majority to defer the decision on the planning application pending the delivery of business documentation showing that Mr Greenhow is running a viable business from the land.