Dog-breeding kennel plans spark debate

Plans for dog breeding kennels at a farm near Singleton have sparked a major debate.

A retrospective planning application has been submitted to Fylde Council for kennels which have already been built at Summerer Farm in Weeton Road, close to Weeton Barracks.

Dairy farmer Jack Fryars is seeking permission for two buildings comprising 18 kennels at the farm.

Planning consultants, in support of the application, say noise levels would remain within acceptable limits and would not exceed background levels, while Lancashire County Council highways officers have raised no objections.

But some objectors have raised concerns for ethical and dog welfare reasons, while the applicants say the animals in question are working dogs rather than pets, and the scheme will be subject to rigorous rules including Kennel Club stipulations.

Professional dog walker Darren Mason, from Blackpool, is among those objecting.

What objectors say

Mr Mason, 47, who runs the Bigdog walkers said: “Having another breeding operation is the last thing we need around here.

“I strongly believe this proposal is unnecessary, inappropriate, and contrary to wider animal welfare concerns currently affecting the United Kingdom.

“At a time when rescue centres and welfare organisations are already under immense pressure, permitting additional commercial dog breeding capacity raises serious ethical and practical concerns.

“Across the UK, animal rescue charities and dog welfare organisations are struggling with increasing numbers of abandoned, surrendered, and neglected dogs.

“Many centres are operating at or near capacity, facing rising costs and unprecedented demand. In this context, approving further dog breeding activity would be disconnected from the reality of the current welfare situation and would  risk adding further pressure to an already overstretched system.”

He is urging Fylde planners not to approve the application, and is about to register a formal objection.

Also raising concerns is  Wendy Mulele, who runs the Homeward Bound rescue charity on the Fylde coast.

She said: “Companion animals are not like livestock, they need to be raised in a family setting rather than breeding kennels.

“I’ve campaigned against commercial breeding companies because I believe it has long term effects on the dogs, which causes problems later on.

“This application concerns me a great deal.”

What applicants say

However, Jack Fryar said that many people did not understand the set-up, which will entail breeding labradors and cocker spaniels.

He said: “We work on a dairy farm and have always had working dogs but we wanted to sell just a few of them so we applied to the council for a license, trying to do everything correctly and above board.

“So that’s why we have put in the planning application, because we couldn’t get the breeders licence without the planning application.

“These dogs are properly bred, with really strict guidelines, and they are gun dogs, involved in outdoor sports, not everyday pets.

“The kennels are huge, state-of the-art and well-maintained. A council official said they were the best she had ever seen.

“There has been a big reaction to our plans on social media, but people outside farming don’t  understand what is entailed.”

Planning documents say work started in April 2025 and included the construction of the two kennel buildings, a concrete yard, drainage and associated infrastructure.

The kennels would allow for an expanded dog breeding operation to generate additional income as part of a diversification strategy for the long-established 500-acre dairy farm.

The addition of the new kennels would see breeding increase from one or two litters to around six litters a year, with puppies remaining on site for around eight weeks before being sold.

Each kennel block would house around 12 to 15 dogs, with breeding activity mainly taking place during the summer.

Planning document show the kennel buildings are located on an 800 square metre plot on the south-western edge of a field, close to existing farm infrastructure, including a slurry lagoon.

Design plans describe the structures as low-height agricultural-style buildings finished in brown boarding, with parking and access areas included. Five parking spaces are proposed, with access provided via a farm track from Weeton Road.

Planning consultants said the scheme is modest in scale and designed to fit within the existing farm setting.