Decision on dog park in Freckenham, near Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds, delayed after concerns raised

A decision on a new dog park in a Suffolk village has been deferred due to officer and resident concerns.

The application would see an arable agricultural field off Fordham Road, outside Freckenham’s settlement boundary, near Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds, turned into a dog training and exercise park.

The applicants, Messers Cannam, Cross, and Whitehead, said a new dog park would be beneficial to the community and help to tackle issues with dog fouling.

In a statement, they said: ” A secure dog park is becoming a need for many as a majority of countryside walks are interrupted by busy roads, livestock in fields and conservation areas which makes letting dogs off their leads very stressful and, in some cases, impossible.

“We believe that a nice secure and peaceful environment will be very beneficial to all dog owners.”

Last Wednesday, West Suffolk’s Development Control Committee decided to defer the decision after indicating it was minded to approve the application contrary to the officer’s recommendation for refusal.

The deferral was reached to allow for a risk assessment to be produced after officers concluded the proposed 1.8m high boundary fence would lead to an unacceptable impact on the landscape.

Cllr David Taylor, who wrote in support of the application, argued the fencing would not be an eyesore and would blend into other fencing along the road.

He added: “The land will not be changed in any way and only used for dogs to run and play on — the project would seem an excellent use of the land that will not be used for crops.”

Concerns were also raised by residents regarding a possible increase in noise pollution, as a result of groups of dogs barking, and traffic coming into the village.

To mitigate these impacts, the applicants have proposed to limit bookable slots to 50 minutes per session, with 6 dogs per booking, and keep to daylight hours only.