Villagers protest over kennels plan

Dozens of angry Whixall residents are set to lobby a parish council meeting tonight in a bid to stop dog kennels being built in their village.

About 20 villagers are planning the demonstration outside Edinburgh House, Wem, during a meeting of Wem Rural Parish Council tonight, after the council backed the kennels.

The North Shropshire Hunt last month announced plans to build the kennels, for 80 dogs, at Greenfields on Ossage Lane, near Whixall.

Pat Hutchinson, who has organised the demonstration, said it would be silent, because the people of Wem were not consulted before the parish council gave the green light to plans.

"We are going to have a silent demonstration because the people of Wem have been silent on this," she said.

"I have written to the chief executive at North Shropshire District Council, and they are going to investigate the complaint."

More than 50 letters of objection have been sent to the district council, which is due to make a final decision on the kennels later this month.

Concerns raised include the noise and smells that may be generated by the kennels, and the fact the land is on a flood plain.

Wem Rural Parish Council acting chairman Brian Morgan said members approved the kennels because they could find no reason not to do so.

"There was nothing in the planning regulations we could object to when the plans came before us," he said. "The district council has the final say anyway, but we can only go by our guidelines," he said.

The meeting is due to begin at 7.30pm.