Dog field proposed for holiday business and local community

A booking system will be in place

A tourism business in Torridge wants to create a secure dog exercise area where guests can let pets off leads which local residents will be able to use outside the main holiday period.

Paul White is asking North Devon Council to allow him to change part of a field at High Park House, Littleham, near Bideford into the exercise area.

It comes after requests from prospective holidaymakers looking to exercise their pets.

Planning documents say often more than 10 dogs are staying with their owners in the seven holiday properties.

But with open driveways and low hedges, the site is not 100 per cent secure for dogs.

The owners say they haven’t received a complaint from customers or neighbouring premises about noise in the 10 years they have operated.

A secure dog area would reduce the impact on neighbouring space by moving pets further away from residences.

“From experience of having dogs for over 20 years, dogs off leads in a secure environment are quiet, and are silent once they are exhausted,” they said.

“Typically, dogs tend to make a noise when they’re on a lead and meet dogs they are not socialised with. They feel they are ‘protecting’ their owners.”

A maximum of four dogs, from the same household or already socialised, will be allowed at a time on the one-acre site, 9am to 7pm Mondays to Saturdays, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

When the letting business is quieter, typically outside of school holiday and through winter, the owners plan to allow local dog owners in.

“With the increased number of properties being developed in the area, an additional local facility for exercising dogs safely will be of benefit to the wider community,” Mr White said.

“Two such facilities in Appledore and Buckland Brewer had both worked successfully and the one in Appledore had been backed by 19 positive comments.”