A SECURE dog walking area proposed for agricultural land in Plumley will be specially designed to meet the needs of disabled people, the applicant has said.

Cathrene Rowell has applied to Cheshire East Council for permission to change the use of the field off Trouthall Lane so dog walkers can exercise their pets in a secure location.

After suffering several injuries following a seizure in 2020, Cathrene now spends a great deal of time in a wheelchair.

Since then she says she has been looking for a suitable location to exercise her dogs.

Northwich Guardian: The application site at PlumleyThe application site at Plumley (Image: Google)

“Not only is it too much to walk the dogs, but there is also the added danger that if I was to have a seizure while walking them, both me and the dogs would be in danger,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“Using secure fields means that I can walk the dogs.”

Cathrene says the fields she has visited aren’t particularly suitable for people in wheelchairs.

“Our secure accessible fields will be easy to navigate, for both dogs and their owners, irrespective of abilities, whilst also being fun and enriching for the dogs,” she said.

Cathrene says the aim is to create and provide a safe, inclusive, accessible, secure dog field, designed around disabled dog-owners and/or disabled dogs and their owners.

If planning permission is granted for the Plumley site, Cathrene hopes to get the field opened to the public during Spring.

She said: “The site, on Trouthall Lane in Plumley is ideal due to interesting topological features and pre-existing shelter.

"This means that no great changes to the landscape itself will be required, other than the addition of an accessible, fine gravelled, pathway, similar to those found on National Trust grounds, gravelled track for cars, and the creation of a maximum of two car parking spaces.

“Features such as a sandpit and hillock will be added for the amusement of the dogs, and to add further interest to the site.“

At the time of writing there have been four objections to the proposal.

One objector wrote: “There are already areas for walking dogs in the Plumley area and the addition of a dog park is not required. The inclusion of the proposal will promote off-site parking in the Plumley village and increase risk to pedestrians/all.”

The application, number 23/4748M, can be viewed on the planning portal on the Cheshire East Council website.

The last date for submitting comments is January 24 and the application is due to be determined by a planning officer under delegated authority.