Neighbours living near the Sinnington Hunt kennels and stables at Syke House Farm, Nawton, near Helmsley, have complained about unpleasant smells and smoke from the site.
In common with other hunts, the Sinnington Hunt feeds its hounds on meat from ‘fallen’ stock.
But it found itself in trouble with planners after it extended the service to farmers by taking more stock than was needed to feed the hounds and installed the incinerator to dispose of the remains.
The hunt’s solicitors, Rollit Farrell Bladon, of Helmsley, have written to Ryedale District Council stating: “We are satisfied that no planning permission is required.” But offal disposal guidelines published by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service state that, where incinerators are brought into an existing kennels, they are ancillary to the use of the site.
At a meeting tonight Ryedale District Council’s northern area planning committee is being recommended to take enforcement action over the alleged breach of development control.
The notice would give the hunt a month to shut down the incinerator, dismantle and remove it from the site and stop using the land for the collection and disposal of dead stock over and above that required for the feeding of the hounds.
Head of planning services Mike Moffoot stated: “A complaint was received in July from local residents regarding the use of the property for the disposal of dead stock by a newly-installed incinerator.” Planning permission was granted in July, 1987, to convert agricultural buildings at Syke House Farm into hunt kennels and stables.
Mr Moffoot stated: “As regards the collection of fallen stock for use in feeding the hounds and associated disposal of offal, this can reasonably be regarded as being ancillary to the operation of the kennels.
“Subsequent to the approval, however, additional dead stock – above and beyond that required for the hounds – has been collected as a service to farmers, any remuneration being on a voluntary donation basis.”
Mr Moffoot felt this constituted a material change of use, for which planning permission was required.
Mr Moffoot added: “In this particular case, there is concern regarding the potential for air pollution arising from emissions from the incinerator.”
George Smith, who owns Wrens of Ryedale caravan park, is among local residents objecting to the incinerator.
He stated: “Although there are safeguards against pollution levels, the adminstrative process to stop them is such that the nuisance would take years to stop, if at all. Our experience with the noise from the kennels has proven this only too well.”
Mr Smith added: “The building of an incinerator will further affect business. Who wants to come from a polluted urban environment to holiday in a polluted rural environment?”
Hunt Details
Source: York Press
