Cattery can open 24-7

A new “boutique cattery” in the Herefordshire countryside need no longer be restricted in its opening hours.

The cattery, at Coney Croft, Combes Hill, near Ledbury, originally intended to house 36 cats, was given the go-ahead in 2018, and was completed in April.

The original permission, updated last year, limited its opening hours to customers to 10am to noon and 4pm to 6pm, and 10am to noon on Sundays.

Owners Chris and Anna Vaughan then applied to have this removed, explaining: “The nature of the business is such that we are actually ‘open’ to care for the cats 24-7-365.

“Removing the condition on opening hours will allow us more time to spend with the cats and reduce the amount of time customers attend the property.”

Instead of sticking to restrictive general opening hours, “we would like to trial a discrete appointment system which is beneficial to us, neighbours, customers and cats,” the couple said.

Herefordshire Council’s planning officer decided he did “not consider that the removal of the condition would lead to a detrimental increase in disturbance and noise… (or harm) the amenity of the adjacent properties”.

An earlier change in the permission allowed the use of larger cat pens, in order to meet new requirements of the Government’s five-star cattery grading, the highest of the current three grades, which the council awards locally.

A remaining condition prevents the sale of the cattery separately from the adjacent house.