Issues

Implications of the NSH kennels moving into Greenfields, off Ossage Lane, Whixall, include:

Over development

• They have applied for planning permission to erect a large kennel building for the hounds, a terrier kennel, a 3-bedroom bungalow (additional to the farmhouse ands existing buildings), a large area of hard standing and parking for 5 cars on a site of just 4.6-acres (see plans and see photo)

Noise

• The hunt currently has 37 couple of hounds (74) plus up to 5 whelping bitches and their litters, and a number of terriers. The noise of the hounds baying and terriers yapping is going to carry for miles across the flat elevated Whixall plain.
• High-power pressure washers will be in regular use.

Traffic

• The hounds are walked unleashed twice a day, every day, when not hunting, on 5-mile circuits. This will coincide with school-run/work-run times morning and evening.
  
• The plans include facilities to park 5 vehicles.
  
• The hunt depends on a constant supply of fresh deadstock to feed the hounds. Farmers from far and wide will take advantage and bring carcases that have died of unknown causes into our livestock farming area.

Children’s safety

• The area has two well-attended primary schools, which are on the likely hound exercise circuits.
• There are issues of safety during school runs, whilst cycling and walking, and the likelihood of an individual being traumatised by the arrival of 70+ large, loose dogs appearing around a bend under the ‘control’ of a single handler.
• The inevitable increase in dog faeces on the road and verges carries health implications for the human population, and particularly for children.

Loss of value to property value

• Whilst this is not a ground for objection, you should be aware that the local estate agents are quoting a 10% drop in the value of your property if a hunt kennel is on your doorstep, not to mention the difficulty you may experience when you come to sell.

Air pollution and smell

• The hounds are fed raw meat and the smell of the resulting faeces and urine is, without doubt, extremely offensive.
• The plans include a proposal for an incinerator on site to dispose of offal and other waste (more than 250 tonnes/year). This will inevitably discharge into the local atmosphere.

Water pollution

• The North Shropshire Hunt was fined £3000 by the Environment Agency for failing to implement adequate pollution protection for local watercourses at their previous home at Lee Brockhurst, even after they spent £30,000 on installing a reed-bed system.
  
• The site of the new kennel building, carpark and adjacent hard standing is immediately adjacent to a brook, which passes across neighbouring farmland, where livestock graze and drink, and right through the centre of Newtown and on towards Loppington.
  
• This is an area of extremely heavy clay with only 2–3 inches of topsoil. Run-off from the extensive areas of hard standing and the exercise areas will inevitably find its way into the brook.

Waste generation

• The skins, offal and other waste from the carcases and from the kennels will accumulate and require disposal. Some will be incinerated; the rest, who knows.
  Fly infestation
  
• A DEFRA (Government) vet has advised that we can expect unnaturally high levels of fly infestations during the summer months attracted by the carcases, hides and faeces.
  

Cross-contamination and disease

• Bringing deadstock in from a wide area using large numbers of vehicles can only heighten the dangers of cross infection for local livestock from diseases such as foot and mouth, TB, blue tongue, etc.

Trespass

• Many of the local properties on the likely exercise circuits have open entrances and gardens, and the likelihood of 74 undomesticated, large dogs under the ‘control’ of a single handler entering private property is indisputable.

Pet and livestock safety

• Many of the local properties are livestock smallholdings.
  
• Hounds are not entirely discriminatory when it comes to quarry. Incidences of pets and livestock being killed or worried are regularly reported in the press.

Hunt saboteur activity

• Any hunt kennel attracts the unwelcome attention of the hunt saboteurs, and the associated police and press activity.

Tourism

• The roads in the area form a very popular part of the National Cycleway and are well used. There are also a number of caravan sites and the marina in the vicinity.

If you feel that the hunt kennels coming here would be inappropriate, you need to act NOW because when they are here it will be TOO LATE. Take action by clicking here.