Retrospective approval is being sought from Renfrewshire Council for the demolition and change of use of stables to kennels.

The application relates to the erection of buildings to accommodate a kennel business at Hartfield Farm, which has been located at the site since 2017.

The business, near Caplaw Dam, is known as Hartfield Boarding Kennels and Grooming and employs three people.

The reason permission is now being applied for is because the applicant “was not aware planning permission would be required for the erection of the sheds to support the rural business.”

In terms of the site that now hosts the kennels, the applicants dismantled an old stable block in 2016 which comprised old wooden horse boxes “in a state of disrepair and in danger of falling down.”

A new shed to accommodate 17 kennels was then built on the footprint of these stables and completed in 2017.

As a result of good uptake, the business then expanded in 2019 and the building was extended to include an additional 13 kennels, a food preparation area, toilet, grooming room and a reception area.

The building as it currently stands follows the dimensions of the old stable block, with a small addition extending out to accommodate a reception area.

It currently includes a total of 30 kennels in a row with a wash area and food prep area behind the kennels.

A decision has yet to be made on the application, which was received by the council in November 2023 and validated this month.