CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a new cattery in St Lawrence have been rejected by the Planning Committee for a second time due to concerns over the impact on green space and the countryside – despite officials recommending it for approval.
The application – a revised version of plans previously refused in December – sought permission to erect a 13-pen cattery as a small family-run “hobby business” at a private property on La Route de L’Eglise next to St Lawrence Church.
Applicants Simon and Sarah Dowling also sought retrospective permission for a concrete deck and retaining wall already constructed at the rear of the property.
Deputy Steve Ahier said he had “serious, serious concerns” about the application.
He said: “It’s come before the committee before in 2024, and the retaining wall and concrete deck, which were put in without planning permission, seem to be deliberately designed to accommodate the cattery. The original concerns are still definitely there.”
Fellow committee member Richard Honeycombe added. “The cattery is the same size… I really don’t see there’s any variation from what was turned down the last time”
The proposal had been pitched as a discreet and “small-scale” facility that would be set behind the house and not visible from the road.
The structure would have included 13 pens in a what was described as “secure” unit with toughened safety glass.
The Dowlings had also promised to offset the environmental impact of the build through new planting, including a green wall and planters.
Simon Dowling told the committee the project was “a labour of love, not labour for commercial gain” and said that previous concerns had been taken into account, and that the plans had been updated accordingly.
A neighbouring resident who turned out at the meeting in opposition to the scheme argued the revised plans were essentially unchanged.
“It is the same proposal, again, for the same use, of the same form and in the same location,” he said.
“It is over 87 square metres – more than the floor space requirement for a three-bedroom bungalow.”
Committee chair Deputy Alex Curtis said the proposal had economic value and indicated he could support it under conditions, such as removing permitted development rights and requiring the landscaping to be completed before construction.
But the majority of the committee voted against the plan.
The application was refused on the grounds that the development would result in a loss of green space and, due to its size and scale, would harm the character of the area – the same conclusion reached by the committee six months ago.
