Dogs4Rescue Case Study
For:
With:
renaissance engineers, Brownfield Solutions and Paul Graveney Consulting
What is it:
Two sites for rescue dogs in Irlam and Accrington, helping charity Dogs4Rescue to respond to the dog rescue crisis in the UK.
We’ve been advising Dogs4Rescue on its two sites: Nursery Farm, Irlam and Rescue World in Accrington.
Nursery Farm is Dogs4Rescue’s first site, which rehabilitates rescue dogs in a unique kennel-free environment, before re-homing to suitable new homes.
Rescue World comprises a new 8.6ha site in Accrington, which will provide a sanctuary for those dogs who will not be able to be rehomed, helping to free up capacity at Nursery Farm.
^The ‘Rescue World’ Site during the development works.
Across both sites, Dogs4Rescue’s unique selling point is that dogs are not kennelled but live in a way that is closer to a home environment, avoiding a lot of the health and behavioural problems that kennelled dogs can suffer.
Local Planning Authorities:
Salford City Council (Nursery Farm) and Hyndburn Council (Rescue World)
What we did:
We secured retrospective planning permission for the main kennel-free rescue at Nursery Farm, and then devised a planning strategy and secured the associated planning permissions to help Dogs4Rescue convert a derelict farm into “Rescue World”, a spacious, permanent home for “sanctuary dogs” (often feral or amputees, unlikely to be rehabilitated and rehomed) to be able to live out their days.
^ The Kennel-Free Approach at Nursery Farm
The first challenge:
The Nursery Farm site grew organically, in response to the dog rescue crisis in the UK. It performs an invaluable role: rehabilitating and rehoming dogs in an unique kennel-free environment. It also provides broader social value to the wider community through animal-assisted therapy, enrichment and volunteer days for local businesses, and opportunities for volunteer dog walkers and carers (many of whom are older people) to benefit from social interaction and time with a companion.
Over time the Green Belt site had become heavily developed and was operating without the required planning permission. Responding to enforcement action from SCC, we secured retrospective planning permission, clearly demonstrating that ‘very special circumstances’ existed to allow the operation of the rescue to continue. The scheme was unanimously approved at planning committee in December 2020 with unwavering support from members.
The second challenge:
As the rescue continued to grow, the number of dogs that could not be rehomed was also increasing, reducing the charity’s ability to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome other dogs at Nursery Farm.
The solution:
Dogs4Rescue’s founder identified a new site - the expansive Clough Bottom Farm site in Accrington. We developed a planning strategy which would respond to the rescue’s needs and resources in both the short and the long term.
In order to achieve this, we submitted a full application to change the lawful use of the entire site. Within this application, we included provision for the first phase of built form, comprising a large cabin to accommodate up to 20 dogs, and a smaller lodge for use as permanent staff accommodation.
In tandem with this, we submitted an outline application proposing the refurbishment of the farmhouse and barn, alongside new buildings for additional staff and dog accommodation, future-proofing the sanctuary as it grows and providing space for up to 80 dogs in total.
The applications were met with trepidation due to worries about dog barking and traditional misconceptions around kennel environments. We addressed this head on, facilitating a site visit to Nursery Farm for officers and local members, to demonstrate the pioneering kennel free approach. Their “no barking” policy, where dogs are kept busy within free-running areas and split into sub-packs keeps them calm, stress free and content. The full application was approved at committee in June 2021, with the outline application being granted consent two months later.
The benefits:
The Dogs4Rescue site at Nursery Farm has been safeguarded and continues to rehabilitate and rehome dogs whilst providing wider benefits to the community. In addition, the new, spacious Rescue World became operational in Autumn 2023 and has helped provide the right facilities for the sanctuary dogs while simultaneously freeing up space at Nursery Farm. We are looking forward to continuing to see the future phases of the development of Rescue World come forward and to continue to help this special charity.