Disgruntled residents staged a silent protest at a council meeting against the North Shropshire Hunt’s plans to build a new base near their homes.

More than a dozen villagers from Whixall armed with placards stood in silence outside the council offices in Wem yesterday to show their frustration at Wem Rural Parish Council’s decision to support the controversial application.

The hunt unveiled plans last month to site the kennels, for up to 80 dogs, at Greenfields, Ossage Lane, Whixall.

Last night campaigners said they were angry the parish council gave its seal of approval to the plans without first consulting people that live nearby.

Resident Peter Westwell said he had written a lengthy letter to North Shropshire District Council, which held a consultation into the plans, but criticised the parish council for not listening to villagers.

“The district council gave us the chance to say the things we wanted to say, but Wem Rural Parish Council passed it on a nod and a wink, and that’s what I disagree with,” he said.

Neighbour Peter Griffiths said he would no longer feel able to allow his dogs to roam his own property if hounds moved into the new premises.

“It’s not that I disagree with the hunt; it’s the problems the kennels are going to cause,” he said. “They are going to be running their dogs loose on the roads, 70 or 80 of them with only one or two handlers, and this may be in school time or work time when people are coming and going.”

Jeff Beard, a volunteer warden on Whixall Moss, raised concerns about protected species in the area.

“There are otters and water voles, and the development plan from the council says they will do their utmost to preserve rare species,” he said. “It also isn’t going to help drive tourism.”

Acting parish council chairman Brian Morgan said there had been no problems caused by the protest, but said the council’s hands had been tied in making a decision.

He said: “We were given the plans as we always are to look at and there was nothing under the planning guidelines we could object to, so there was not much we could do really.”

By Abigail Bates