Plans for dog park near North York Moors National Park set to be approved

Planners have recommended that a proposal to turn farmland near the North York Moors National Park into a dog park should be approved.

Hambleton District Council’s planning committee will consider South Acre’s plan to launch an area enclosed by a 1.8m-high fence to the south of South Kilvington, near Thirsk, next Thursday (1 September).

The secure dog walking facility, which would be open 15 hours a day, would be managed via an online booking system where one person could book the field for their sole use and gain access to the site using a code.

South Acres, which runs two similar fields near Darlington, said it would check the site once daily.

The application states: “There are many dog owners in the South Kilvington and Thirsk area who would use a purpose-built dog walking field.”

The application adds: “Discussions with several of the leading dog trainers and dog walking companies confirm that there is a lack of purpose-made and secure dog walking areas of a suitable size and quality in the locality.”

The plan has attracted numerous objections from residents concerned about a potential increase in traffic in the village and the loss of food-producing farmland.

However, a planning officer’s report to the committee states the council’s policies support development in the countryside where developments recognise the beauty of the area and provide an attractive recreational resource.