Herefordshire's Instone Court to offer dog exercising in chicken shed

Simon and Elaine Parker of Instone Court, Bishops Frome between Bromyard and Ledbury is seeking full planning permission (application 261778) to turn the 41-by-18-metre poultry unit into “a fully covered space which can be used for safe dog exercising and training”.

“This would allow users to have their dog(s) off lead during a timed session with no concern of livestock worrying or poor recall, as well as enjoy various exercise and agility equipment, without being affected by the weather,” a statement with the application explains.

The 250-acre Instone Court is already highly diversified, with pedigree and commercial sheep flocks, free-range poultry, cider and Bramley apple orchards, cobnuts and hops.

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A 24-hour vending machine selling local produce which opened at the farm in 2017 “has proved very successful”, its application adds.

But to operate the poultry sheds at full capacity would require an additional member of staff, whereas this would not be needed for the dog-exercising plan as “the applicants would run this enterprise themselves”.

Customers would book either a 30 or a 55-minute time slot online, “to have sole or group use of the enclosure where their dog(s) could be safely let off the lead” – entailing limited traffic movements.

Instone Court farm is already diversified (from Google Street View)

No change to the existing road access off the B4214, nor additional hard-standing for parking within the site, is proposed.

It would be fully accessible, including for disabled dog owners “who struggle with conventional paths”, the application says.

“The site benefits from no nearby neighbours, and noise would be of a nominal nature in an indoor facility,” it adds, noting the booking system would avoid different owners’ dogs meeting with resultant barking.

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Not being limited to daylight hours, it would potentially be in use between 6am and 10pm seven days a week. There would be a “designated waste carrier” to remove dog waste.

“We plan on offering something a little different, that doesn’t depend on weather or the time of day,” Mrs Parker said, adding she was not aware of anything similar already on offer in the county.

Comments on the couple’s application can be made until July 22, with a decision due a month later.