Bid submitted to retain dog field for Blackpool pet owners

Nathan Crane was granted planning permission last year to use scrubland off Deerhurst Road in Anchorsholme as a secure dog exercise field with a perimeter fence, shelter and coded access gate.

He is now seeking to make the use permanent, with a fresh planning application set to go before Blackpool Council.

Documents submitted with the application say the aim is to provide “a secure dog walking and exercise field where people can exercise their dogs off the leash in a secure manner without worrying about other dogs or livestock, or the dog running away from their owners.”

They add: “Many dogs have behavioural issues which require them to be exercised in a secure environment, the proposed facility would provide a safe and secure place for owners and their dogs to exercise safe in the knowledge that the site is fully secure.

“The field will also provide a secure environment away from public highways for rescue dogs and puppies to be taught recall without the fear of them being struck by a vehicle or running away.”

Mr Crane hopes to meet demand from the rise in dog ownership, with many people taking on new pets during the Covid pandemic.

His submission adds: “There is a distinct lack of options for people with dogs that cannot be allowed to walk without the restraint of a lead and so thissecure field would enable them to exercise freely which will have direct benefits to canine health.”

The land was already fenced off prior to being used as a dog field with a padlocked gate near to Deerhurst Road used as the only entrance.

Access is via a coded entry system, with owners able to book one hour slots and to abide by the condition that any dog waste is cleared from the site and placed in the waste bin prior to departure.

Conditions include a maximum of four dogs per person with the field accessible to owners during daylight hours in summer and between 8am and 8pm in winter.