St Bernard dogs halt caravan park expansion

Parkdean Resorts at Cayton Bay Holiday Park had applied to Scarborough Council for the new holiday lodges but had not bargained for the impact on a nearby dog breeding kennel.

The area of land South West of Mill Lane in Cayton borders a property, Alma Farm Cottage, which is used as a home for more than a dozen St Bernards.

Ahead of a scheduled meeting of Scarborough Council’s planning and development committee today the authority’s planning officers had recommended the scheme for refusal due to the impact it would have on the dogs.

Now, Parkdean Resorts has withdrawn the application, meaning it will not be discussed by councillors.

The officer’s report to councillors laid out the reasons why they thought the scheme would not work.

It said: “Officers have visited the immediate neighbouring property (Alma Farm Cottage) and it has become apparent that there is an issue of fundamental incompatibility between the proposal and the established use at this property.

“This property is used for the kennelling and breeding of St Bernard dogs. There are 12 kennels on the site, and 16 dogs resident at this point. It is clear that this use has been ongoing for many years at an intensity of at least that now apparent.

“Caravans are proposed to be located within 25 metres of the boundary of Alma Farm Cottage. It was clear to the case officer during the site visits that the presence of people within this radius (and deeper) within the application site causes the dogs to become vocal, which would patently be a nuisance.”

Officers also had concerns over flood water drainage on the land.

Carl Gavaghan , Local Democracy Reporting Service