Plans Approved For Inverclyde’s First Indoor Dog Exercise Facility

Inverclyde councillors have approved plans for the area’s first indoor dog exercise facility at a converted warehouse in Greenock.

A ‘change of use’ application for a unit at Larkfield Industrial Estate was given the go ahead by the council’s planning board on Wednesday.

The dog exercise centre, proposed by applicant Kara Murdoch, of Kempock Street in Gourock, will offer private, one-hour sessions for a single owner and up to four dogs between 9am and 9pm daily.

Planners acknowledged the scheme does not align with the Inverclyde Local Development Plan, which reserves the site for business, industrial, or storage/distribution uses

But they recommended approval, saying that the centre would not harm the area’s industrial character and could revert to its original use in future.

At the board’s meeting, council leader Stephen McCabe highlighted a concern about the industrial estate potentially moving too far from its intended purpose.

Councillor McCabe (Labour, Inverclyde East) said: “I understand why officers think this unit, in isolation, is an acceptable departure from the use of this industrial estate, but where do you strike the balance?

“If there were three or four other requests to use units here that weren’t in keeping with the industrial use, how would they be considered?

“Is it a matter of taking each on individual merits? Or when do we get to a point where we’re saying there’s too many non-industrial uses of these units?”

A council officer said that could be considered down the line if it became an issue.

She said: “Every case that comes forward in planning terms needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis, on its own individual merits.

“If it ever got to a point where we’re considering that there is an impact on the established industrial land supply, then that would be material in considering any future applications.”

Cllr Pam Armstrong (SNP, Inverclyde Central) tabled a motion to approve the application, which was approved unanimously subject to conditions.

A standard condition requires the development of the dog exercise facility to begin within three years of the permission being granted.

Another condition requires details on containers for the storage of waste and recyclable materials to be provided in writing to the council before work starts, as they were not included in the application.

A planning department report revealed that no public representations were made for or against the application.

The planning application for the indoor dog park was submitted by Rebecchi Architectural on behalf of the project promoters.