Dog Daycare centre without planning permission.

Some excellent ideas on this thread. OP would be well advised to pursue multiple avenues at the same time:

  1. Local authority noise complaint
  2. Local authority change of use
  3. Civil legal route
  4. Animal welfare
All of the above operate largely independently of each other. Not all may succeed but one could be enough to shut this down.

Keep written records of absolutely everything- something like an email to self every day with a record of noise may well have evidential value.
 
OP would be well advised to pursue multiple avenues at the same time:
....
4. Animal welfare
Unless the OP has specific animal welfare concerns - and they haven't mentioned any - they should try to avoid dragging animal welfare workers into a possibly fruitless fishing expedition here.

Animal welfare resources in this country are very tightly stretched as it is, evidenced by at least one absolute horror story relating to dogs, which was covered by the media relatively recently, and which continued for longer than it should have because the local authority in question lacked sufficient resources to tackle it. If staff are being diverted to situations where there are no specific welfare concerns, this problem will only worsen.

Going by their description of the situation, the OP has multiple other avenues to pursue without this. Best wishes to them.
 
Good luck with it! The clock is ticking on the timeline to submit an observation, make sure you include pictures of the obscured notice.
Thanks Leo, the clock is now paused.
Their application was deemed invalid on some small issues.
They now have to reapply/resubmit.
The local authority have advised me there is no time constraint for submission of additional application.
They have however said this remains and open and active file and I will be advised if an enforcement notice issues.

My nearest neighbour is new and is happy to make a complaint, today was bad, almost to the point of headache.
I will do exactly as one poster said and email myself as a log - in fact i might cc the LA every day on same

I did think about taking it to the district court as a nuisance issue. I've no issue with self representation.
I also thought about asking them for their insurance details and lodge a complaint/claim that way/put the wind up them perhaps.
I don't want anything out of it - except the status quo before they opted to turn it into an 8am to 4pm barkfest.

It's a large old house with a huge garden front and back, the owner did apply and was turned down circa 15 years ago to demolish the house and build 8 houses (semi D's). His two sons live there and their friend is the owner of the dg business and they work with her, it was 2 of them, now it is all 3 as there are more dogs.
The property is purely residential
There are no animal welfare issues
I have photos of the ivy and the notice

In their application (online) their main arguments for retention are:
the service they are providing,
the encouragement by government to set up home based enterprise,
that they collect the dogs and so no traffic issues, (The odd person collects, i would agree there)
that the road is already noisy with traffic and they included a sound map they sourced from somewhere to say the dogs were in fact quieter!
that another dog daycare got planning and it is in a residential area 10 miles away - i looked it up and will also visit, it has one house nearby with several polytunnels, and another business nearby and then basically it's a road to the coast....
they included 4 basic letters from neighbours in their application; who in summary said there's hardly any noise at all, the poor doggie daycare business are facing stress with this noise complaint, and that it's a vital business etc etc and that it is no different to anyone having a family dog in their garden....two of these letters are from their customers . One of whom is another neighbour to the rear of our house - he moved in about a year ago and used to let his large loud dog out at 6.15 for a pee and then let him bark to get back in and he thought this was acceptable, he eventually apologised (as my partner said - his wife probably made him apologise)

In the doggie diploma course (Creedons Cork) the person running the business completed - it covered insurance and planning - so no excuse for pleading ignorance.
They approached a number of houses/neighbours - oddly enough they never called to us or the house beside us, we are two of the nearest and mostly likely to hear the barking.

If i did go district court on it, the judge might not look too favourably on them acting without planning, being aware for over a year and a half now that it was causing issues and the fact that the business is operating for 4 years and only registered in 2022, when i imagine tax and prsi would have commenced.

Meanwhile i will ask other neighbours to submit an enforcement complaint - these are confidential. I have the forms printed and complete with SAEs for them to send.


When it was a smaller scale and only 4 days a week it was 'bearable' ish. but now it's a full time, expanded gig - it's not on.

Thanks guys, all comments much appreciated!
 
Unless the OP has specific animal welfare concerns - and they haven't mentioned any - they should try to avoid dragging animal welfare workers into a possibly fruitless fishing expedition here.

Animal welfare resources in this country are very tightly stretched as it is, evidenced by at least one absolute horror story relating to dogs, which was covered by the media relatively recently, and which continued for longer than it should have because the local authority in question lacked sufficient resources to tackle it. If staff are being diverted to situations where there are no specific welfare concerns, this problem will only worsen.

Going by their description of the situation, the OP has multiple other avenues to pursue without this. Best wishes to them.
Many thanks T McGibney
 
the fact that the business is operating for 4 years and only registered in 2022, when i imagine tax and prsi would have commenced
But do you have concrete evidence to this them starting in 2020 ? They could simply say we had a few dogs over to see whether the place was suitable.
 
But do you have concrete evidence to this them starting in 2020 ? They could simply say we had a few dogs over to see whether the place was suitable.
Yes, more than enough. One of their neighbour's letters they included in their retention planning application also state 2020.
 
This has nothing to do with you, stay away from it
The context it was mentioned that their business has developed on a series of questionable practices, fully at odds with a key module of the course the business owner completed, that dealt with insurance/planning and tax etc.
 
The context it was mentioned that their business has developed on a series of questionable practices, fully at odds with a key module of the course the business owner completed, that dealt with insurance/planning and tax etc.
The OP needs to be cautious that they don't just come off like a crank and have their genuine concerns dismissed as a result. It is perfectly legal to run a small scale dog groomers from home. In complaining to planners, it is best focus on the issues that will get their attention and avoid the risk of losing it in a litany of things they are perfectly happy with.
 
Preparing submission - have 4 weeks to submit
Noise complaint commenced with the Local Authority
Next on list - dates available with District Court
Barking is a smorgasbord of loud and screechy since 0804, i started work at 0730 to get ahead...
Keeping a daily log and emailing to self
 
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