Dog trainers angry over delays over controversial planning application
Owners of a dog training and day care business near Melton Mowbray are angry over delays on a planning application which has also attracted dozens of local objections.
Antony and Louise Haslam, who run No Pressure Canine, have submitted proposals for change of use to an eight-acre dedicated dog exercise and training field on their own agricultural land off Branston Road, in Eaton.
They are baffled by the hold-up because they say it is just a ‘straightforward change of use’ application which they feel should have been considered by now by planners at Melton Borough Council.
The council say the application was made valid on September 10, 2024, but there has been a delay over receiving ecological information relating to the Biodiversity Net Gain the scheme would produce.
The plans have attracted widespread opposition, however, with dozens of people registering a variety of objections with the council, some on the grounds that an attractive area of countryside would be spoiled by building the required new access road and installing fencing and also dangers from increased traffic. Others have contacted the council to show support for the proposal.
On the delays to the planning decision, Antony told the Melton Times: “The impact from all this is severe.
“The stress has been immense, it is holding our small business back while neighbours get quicker approvals for similar rural developments.”
The couple say they first submitted the plans in March 2023 and using the field is essential for their business, which also involves dog breeding.
They are frustrated that multiple planning meetings were cancelled in recent months – they are planning to submit a non-determination appeal to the Planning Inspectorate if there is no progress soon
"The case officer recommended approval in July 2025, we agreed to draft conditions and all statutory consultees, including highways, are satisfied, yet the application remains undetermined,” said Antony.
They help owners socialise and train dogs, including rescues and aggressive post-lockdown dogs with behavioural issues.
But one of the neighbours who opposes the scheme told the Melton Times it would have a significant detrimental impact on the landscape there.
He said: “The access road he’s going to put in goes straight through the woodland and into a field where there’s going to be a huge car park. I don’t know how you ever mitigate that through biodiversity.”
A spokesperson for Melton Borough Council told the Melton Times: "It was originally scheduled for consideration by the Planning Committee in December 2025; however, requirements for further ecological information relating to Biodiversity Net Gain, which must be resolved before any decision can be made, and which were only received from one of the statutory consultees shortly before the planned committee date, meant the item had to be deferred to allow this work to be completed.
"Once the outstanding ecological matters have been addressed and assessed, the application will be reported back to the Planning Committee at the earliest appropriate opportunity.”
On the general issue of delays in the planning system for Melton borough, the spokesman added: “The council's planning service works hard to provide an effective and responsive service, but like many across the country, demand and resource pressures continue.
"We are committed to continuous improvement and our current productivity plan is focussed on modernising processes and improving overall efficiency.”