Plans for a dog exercise area on the outskirts of Wimborne have been refused after councillors voted to reject the proposal.
The site at Shady Glades on Long Lane returned to committee after a High Court ruling quashed an earlier Dorset Council decision to approve the change of use, prompting a fresh hearing by the area planning committee on Wednesday.
More than one hundred public comments were submitted, with objectors raising concerns about noise from dogs, limited parking, extra traffic on a narrow single track lane and the lack of on-site supervision, as the facility would have been monitored remotely using CCTV.
Council planning officers recommended approval, saying they were satisfied the proposal would not cause harm to the Green Belt setting and that the changes were acceptable, but an initial vote to approve the scheme was lost by four votes to three.
A second motion to refuse the application, proposed by Councillor Andy Skeats, Conservative councillor for Three Legged Cross and West Moors, was carried by four votes to two, citing remote supervision, traffic levels and potential risks to adjacent livestock.
Councillors were told the site would have operated as two separate enclosed areas with pre-booked fifty-minute sessions, a small car park and a storage container, allowing customers to let themselves in and out.
Planning agent James Blake, speaking for nearby residents, said the rural location was sensitive, close to homes and livestock, and lacked a robust operational plan, while supporters including dog trainer Samantha Taylor said secure sites were in demand for training and nervous dogs.
Objections were also raised by Holt Parish Council and ward councillor Will Chakawhata.
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