Estate plans place for nervous dogs to go for a walk

Nervous dogs could soon get a place to go for walks in peace and quiet if a planning application gets tails wagging at the council.

Downton Hall Estates has applied to planners at Shropshire Council for permission to change a grazing pasture east of Middleton, near Ludlow into a private, enclosed dog walking facility.

It would be on land adjacent to the former Clee Hill Railway Line and also bounded by the appropriately named Dogditch Brook.

Planning agent Otto De Weijer, of Weijer Architects, of Codsall has told the council that the proposed dog-walking is aimed at those dog owners who are “not comfortable or confident about walking their dogs in public areas.

“This could be due to the fact that their dogs are nervous when confronted with other dogs or that they themselves are unsure on how to deal with possible aggressive dogs they might come across during a walk.”

It could also be used by pooch owners who have a disability or those who would like to “let their dog run free and off the lead”

They conclude: “We believe that the proposed facility will provide access for a large number of people and their dogs who otherwise would not consider about venturing out into the  countryside but instead leave their dog to be confined within their own garden to avoid contact with other dogs.”

The application is out for public consultation with Shropshire Council. The details are on the council’s planning portal with the reference 25/01153/FUL.

The Shropshire Area of the Ramblers has told the council that a Middleton to Bitterley footpath “should be legally diverted” from going across the site.