Councillors on Torfaen’s planning committee met today (15 July 2021) to discuss the application for a doggy daycare and adventure park in Cwmbran and make a decision.
The site is Little Cwrt Bach Farm, Pentre Lane, Henllys, Cwmbran.
The daycare will be run on a pick-up and drop-off basis with the business owners collecting pets from homes. The adventure park will have a limited number of slots- only ten owners can use it per day.
Councillor Jason O’Connell said: “I think I start with what a brilliant application this is and I think it’s well needed for Torafen to be honest, long overdue. I’m not too fussed on the location itself. It’s right on the border. I would have liked to see something more accessible.” He asked officers about possible parking problems at the facility if it becomes popular. He was reassured after being told that the adventure park would be pre-booked by dog owners at staggered times- with a maximum of ten bookings per day. Owners will not drop off their dogs for daycare- they will be collected and dropped off by the centre owners.
Cllr O’Connell said: “Great answer, and to be honest that makes the site even more attractive if I’m honest, if it’s staggered. So yeah, can’t wait for this to get through.”
Councillor Huw Bevan said: “It’s sad in a way that we are losing agricultural usage land, given, you know, we’ve got climate change and we’ve got need for locally sourced and grown products. However, this is not a change of use from agricultural to residential building or anything as extreme as that.
“It is actually a facility that is going to add, in my view, value to the community by having this type of facility available. Dog ownership has increased significantly during the pandemic and to be able to have this kind of facility where daycare and a dog exercise/ adventure yard I think is quite useful. So you know, a little bit conflicted, one of over the change of use but I can see that the use is going to be beneficial and it’s not going from agriculture to a massive development for housing.”
Councillor Gaynor James said: “I think this is an amazing application and I would like to move it for approval please.”
The councillors unanimously approved the plan.