Animal hospital needs planning permission for Green Belt site
A ROTHERHAM ‘animal hospital’ operating from a smallholding needs planning permission to continue its work.
The site, at Kingswood Avenue in Laughton en le Morthen, provides a sanctuary for species as diverse as wallabies, turtles, hedgehogs and quail.
It has been operating with permission from the smallholding’s owner, but a planning application has now been made to Rotherham Council to formalise its usage.
The site is a Green Belt location and while the application acknowledges it constitutes “inappropriate development” it also argues that it “meets the tests for special circumstances based up the site specific requirements and the minimal amount of facilities for this use.”
Planners rejected an application to use the site for dog-training three years ago.
The application states each case is unique, with recent arrivals including a tortoise abandoned in Worksop town centre and birds of prey needing a temporary hone following a Merseyside house fire.
Application papers state: “All animals brought to the facility are nurtured and housed until they are well enough to be returned back into the wild, into supported care, adopted, go home or are returned to a sanctuary elsewhere off-site.”
The venture is charitable and operated by two volunteers and recently there had been plans to open the facility up for public visitor days, which had been advertised.
However, the application makes it clear that idea - aimed at generating income - has since been recognised as inappropriate, due to access issues, and had been dropped.
A decision on the application will be made later.