Luxury cat hotel near Bridgnorth seeks immunity from planning enforcement action
Owners of a cat hotel at the centre of a complex planning battle are seeking to prove they are immune from council enforcement action to close it.
Tudor Cat Hotel at Woundale Farm, in Woundale, near Bridgnorth, received a knock-back last year when a planning inspector refused an appeal to give the development retrospective planning permission.
Emily Jones, the cattery's owner, said: "We have applied for a lawful development certificate from Shropshire Council so it is now a waiting game.
"We are still open and trading and the issue has had no effect on the business, so I am happy really, taking bookings."
The application for a lawful development certificate seeks to prove that the cattery building was "substantially complete at the end of November 2018."
In planning documents supplied to the council by agent FBC Manby Bowdler they say the construction of the cattery building was commenced in 2017 and was substantially complete by the end of November 2018.
It is comprised of a steel-framed structure, with insulated boarding panels forming the external walls and roof, as well as the internal partitions, which provide 18 ‘rooms’ or ‘pens’ for the temporary boarding of cats, each fitted with a centrally heated radiator, bunk bed, shelves offering higher levels, and a glazed window between each ‘pen.’
They add: "In the case of applications for existing use, if a local planning authority has no evidence itself, nor any from others, to contradict or otherwise make the applicant’s version of events less than probable, there is no good reason to refuse the application, provided the applicant’s evidence alone is sufficiently precise and unambiguous to justify the grant of a certificate on the balance of probability."
They add that because it has been in situ and substantially completed for more than four years it has now acquired immunity from enforcement action.
Planning inspector William Cooper visited Woundale Farm in early December before ruling that the development is contrary to the local plan and not even public support for it could outweigh that.
It had been supported by 12 public comments to nil before Shropshire Council decided to reject the retrospective planning application in June 2021.
One supporter Mrs Anita Seal praised owner Emily Jones for being “truly inspirational”.
She wrote: “Emily Jones has worked so hard to bring Tudor House to its current standard, and it would be a tragedy were that to be taken away. I myself have visited Tudor House and have seen at first hand all the wonderful work Emily does, and she is truly inspirational. I fully support Tudor House Luxury Cat Hotel remaining in the community.”
But that sort of comment didn’t sway the day for the planning inspector who had protection of the green belt in mind.
Mr Cooper, in his decision letter issued before Christmas said: “The totality of identified harm to the Green Belt carries substantial weight.
“On the other hand, the other considerations I have identified are of limited weight in favour of the appeal scheme. Therefore, the harm to the Green Belt is not clearly outweighed by the other considerations identified, and the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development do not exist.”
