A NEW doggy daycare business has been given the go-ahead by Barrow council planners - despite concerns being raised about noise.

It will go in part of the former County Coachbuilders unit at the corner of Bank Lane and Park Road, Ormsgill. The application was made to Barrow Council by planning agents acting on behalf of the applicant Ms K. Austin-Walsh.

Barrow mayor Cllr Bill McEwan asked for reassurances that dogs would not cause a disturbance to residents and raised concerns about an outdoor play area for the pets.

"Are dogs going to be in there, all barking and squealing and howling all day?" asked Cllr McEwan.

"I live five minutes away from there and if there's any trouble, I'll have people knocking on my door every five minutes and calling my phone to say the dogs are barking again."

Principal planning officer Charles Wilton pointed out that the new business was not kennels and it would be a day care facility.

He said: “It’s aimed at people working full time who don’t want to leave their pets at home."

He said the industrial building was 100 metres from the nearest residential house which was a suitable location for such a business.

Mr Wilton said the council’s environmental health department - as experts on noise - had been asked for comments but had not identified a problem. But Cllr Kevin Hamilton said more dogs would be needed to make the business sustainable and that once one started barking, others could follow.

Mr Wilton said to address any potential barking and noise problems, the application would only be granted with a specific council condition. He said: "We have built into it a mechanism that if a problem were to arise there's a way of resolving it. The condition states that within 21 days of a complaint to the council of a report of noise, the operator of the business should appoint an independent consultant to assess the operation and advise on suitable mitigation measures." The committee approved the application.