New dog exercise park on Fife farm gets go ahead from councillors

On Wednesday, the committee agreed to approve plans for the Blairsgreen Farm dog exercise facility despite some concerns. An under-utilised agriculture field is now set to become a 1.2 hectare dog exercise facility - including field shelters, boundary fences, directional floodlighting, gates and parking areas.

Laura Inglis, of Blairsgreen Farm, has specified that the facility will operate from 8:00am-8:00pm seven days a week, with a maximum capacity of four dogs per field.

A planning statement on behalf of Ms Inglis stated that the new facility will help “to sustain an existing rural business” - namely the farm operation

“Ultimately, the proposed development is an economic intervention to support the business diversification and therefore viability of the farm,” the statement said.

Councillor Lesley Backhouse (SNP) raised concerns about noise levels for residents nearby, but the concerns were dismissed as conjecture.

The planning report added that the dog facility will not significantly impact on local neighbours when considering the existing noise levels on the farm, which includes tractors, machinery, and livestock, in addition to the proposed noise mitigation measures.

Public objections also raised concerns about road safety near Kinneddar Park. However, the formation of eight roadside parking spaces will actually improve oncoming visibility by 59% according to the council report.

“The proposal would represent a betterment in road safety terms for all road users when compared against the existing situation,” the report said.