Owner of Sheffield’s only ‘dog exercise park’ fighting council’s decision to refuse planning permission

Mick Hill also says that he’s now been told by Sheffield City Council that he can’t let dogs other than his own on his field after he was refused permission to run the dog exercise area on green belt land in the Rivelin Valley.

He originally ran Rivelin Valley Dog Park on land opposite Holme Head Wheel Dam, Rivelin Valley Road on a field next to stables he got permission to build to house donkeys he has rescued.

Council planning officers told him that he had to apply for permission for the scheme, used by dog owners who need somewhere safe to let their dogs exercise and train on their own as they can’t go off the lead in parks for various reasons.

That was refused by Sheffield City Council planning committee earlier this month, as it would create too much impact on a high-quality landscape in the green belt.

‘Absolutely ballistic’

He told the committee that he set up the venture because people walking by when he was building his stables saw his dogs in the field and asked if they could use it.

Mr Hill, whose application was supported by 134 dog walkers, says he feels the ruled have been unfairly applied to him as there are various animal-based businesses in the area.

He said: “I’ve got people phoning me all the time, absolutely ballistic (at the refusal).

“I’m definitely going to appeal, it was wrong in my opinion.

“I can only take my own dogs on to that field now – what gives Sheffield planners the right to do that? How are they going to monitor it on my field?”

Mr Hill said that it isn’t a viable money-making venture as he charges £10 an hour to one user at a time: “It isn’t about money for me, it’s just about helping people.”

If his appeal is allowed, he’s thinking about running the dog area to raise money for an animal charity or to support his four rescue donkeys.

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