Unlawful Hilton dog grooming business approved despite neighbour's living room being less than a metre away
Councillors have approved a Derbyshire home dog grooming parlour which had been operating unlawfully, despite noise concerns impacting a neighbour’s living room less than a metre away. At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting last night (Tuesday, October 1) councillors approved retrospective plans from Paul Aldershaw for a dog grooming business in the garage of a home in Alders Brook, Hilton – but limited it to a temporary two-year permission.
The business has been operating since 2022 without planning permission and has been the subject of complaints from neighbours, particularly an adjacent resident whose living room window is less than a metre from the business – with a narrow paved walkway separating the two. John Newby, who lives in the neighbouring property, claimed he has received abuse as a result of complaining about the business. He alleged a claim that the business only hosted six customers a week was a “distortion of the truth”.
Mr Newby said: “There is a big difference between a small home and a dog grooming business. This cannot be right.” Roy Aldershaw, speaking on behalf of his brother, said the business was being operated by his brother’s daughter who aimed to move the operation to a separate unit in the next couple of years.
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He said his brother was unaware of the need to apply for a change of use and said the business needed a temporary home for four-to-five years before it could sustain itself in a standalone unit. Mr Aldershaw said there had been no abuse “at the start, but that is where we are now” and said neighbours in the cul-de-sac had been subject to a “door-knocking campaign” to rally opposition.
He said the parking implications were no different than Amazon or food delivery drivers arriving and leaving throughout the day, as is currently the case. Cllr Grahame Andrew said: “I don’t want to see a local business close down, however, I feel there are real strong issues in terms of local amenity here.
“There is an obscured window in the neighbouring home but that is not sound-proofed, and people will be standing right outside his window with their dogs, and dogs bark at each other. It is not a place for a local business. This business has already been operating for two years and there have been complaints.
“There are opportunities in the local area for small business units and this is not the type of business that should be in front of somebody’s window.”
Cllr Andrew Kirke said: “I am in a difficult position with this one. We should be supporting a young person to start a business in such a challenging time but we have to consider the impact on the neighbouring resident. You know how we feel about retrospective applications and this has registered some opposition, though that is fairly focused.”
Councillors agreed to approve the scheme on a temporary basis for two years and to limit the hours to 8am until 6pm and just on weekdays.
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