Llandyrnog Dog Day Care Centre Receives Council Backing Despite Noise Concerns

A Llandyrnog dog day care centre that plays pooches operatic scores to keep them entertained was backed by councillors at a Denbighshire planning committee meeting.
Ms Catrin Davies applied to Denbighshire County Council, seeking retrospective permission to change the use of a stable to a dog day care centre.
Mrs Davies also sought permission for the continued use of the manege for mixed use of agricultural and equestrian – as well as a dog exercise area.
Beti Bach Dog Day Care has been operating from the location since September 2022 in conjunction with a boarding kennels ran elsewhere.
The site has a licence for 15 dogs and is located within a commercial stabling/equestrian complex.
The dog centre opens from 7.30 am till 6 pm Monday to Friday with dog drop off times between 7.30 am and 9 am and collection times of 4.30-6 pm.
But Ms Davies also needed planning permission to operate at the site at Wern, Llandyrnog, Denbigh, and councillors backed her plans despite concerns from neighbours about noise.
Council officers had also recommended the committee approve the plans despite complaints from neighbouring residents about noise.
The planning committee were told the applicant had submitted a noise management plan, which included insulation measures to be installed within the kennels and an operational plan for the day-to-day running of the facility.
Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts commented: “If you consider the remoteness of this site – I live just above Llysfasi College, and there is a kennel at the bottom of Llysfasi crossroads, and I very rarely hear the dogs bark, and there is a lot more dogs than the numbers we are talking about, so the wind has to be a particular way for it to reach my place and for me to hear it. So if the measures are in place, I have full confidence in officers and public protection that we can measure that and make sure this business can be enabled and be able to continue what they are doing.”
He added: “I can even see there is a guide dog here today, and I presume they are one of your customers. This facility is important for people to get on with their lives if they have to go to hospital or whatever it may be.”
Cllr Chris Evans said, “The owner, you can tell, is a dog lover. They are there to run the business but also to care for animals.”
Cllr Peter Scott added, “I was one of the members at the site visit. On the day the noise was OK. We looked around the site and the buildings, and the insulation was being inserted in the building to reduce the noise. The dogs listened to opera music, and it kept them quiet. I thought the area was quite remote and away from houses.”
Whilst supporting the principle of the application, Llandyrnog Community Council raised concerns about neighbours complaining of airborne noise.
But councillors unanimously voted in favour of the application. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​