A plan to open a doggy day care centre at a former tiles showroom in Woodley has been rejected.

The former Just Tiles showroom at 86-88 Headley Road in Woodley is undergoing a transformation, with the site being divided up into four units.

Morrisons Daily is occupying unit 2 of the site, with a flag stating that the supermarket giant’s convenience store offshoot will be ‘coming soon’.

However, a bid to make changes to one of the other new units to turn it into a doggy day care centre has been rejected.

A businesswoman had applied to change the use of the unit as a day care for dogs and make changes to the existing canopy roof of the unit.

But concerns were raised that noise from the day care centre which would have hosted a maximum of 50 dogs per day would cause disturbance for neighbours in Headley Road and Caldbeck Drive. 

Councillor Jewell  (Liberal Democrats, South Lake South) wrote: “I am concerned about noise levels caused by dogs barking and howling on nearby
residents.

“The applicant has suggested some measures to address this, I am not convinced these are sufficient.”

A planning document supporting the day care centre argued that guest dogs would be screened for their suitability and behaviour.

The document states: “The applicant can assure neighbouring residents that impacts from noise will be negligible as their intention is to create a happy, stress free environment for dogs, employees and neighbours.”

The applicant also submitted a noise impact assessment by ACT Acoustics, which concluded that the likely impact of noise created by the day care centre would be low.

But the project will not be going ahead as it was refused by a planning officer of Wokingham Borough Council, the planning authority for Woodley.

The refusal decision written by the officer states: “By virtue of the excessive intensification of activity proposed, the site’s very close proximity to adjacent residential properties, and the unpredictable and intermittent nature of the anticipated noise impact, the proposal fails to demonstrate how it would protect existing noise sensitive receptors from adverse noise impact to the detriment of the amenity of neighbouring residential occupiers.”

The refusal of the project was acknowledged by Woodley Town Council’s planning & community committee on Tuesday, September 17.

The committee did not lodge any objections to the project.

You can view the application by typing reference 241632 into the council’s planning portal. The project was refused by notice on August 27.

The plan was submitted by the businesswoman who owns the Rags & Bert’s Doggy Daycare at 25 Loverock Road, West Reading.