Residents air concerns in cat re-homing centre row

RESIDENTS at the Carbane Road have stepped up their campaign of opposition to a proposed cat rehoming centre in the area - saying it could pose a risk to their own cats.

Spokesman Brian Ogle told the Star: “Not only will such a centre be totally inappropriate to a green-field site in Green Belt, the scale of the development could bring many hundreds of extra vehicles on to a narrow rural thoroughfare every week, and this would include school minibuses and coaches.”

Over a decade or so ago plans for the erection of a veterinary surgery was approved for the site on the narrow rural Carnbane Road which links Ravarnet village with the A1 Dual Carriageway.

However, local residents have been staggered by the scale of the plans by the Cat Protection League for a Rehoming Centre which they say will be their “hub” property for Northern Ireland.

It will include three conference rooms, operating theatres, 15 toilets, accommodation and parking for 25-30 staff.

Carnbane Road and Ravarnette residents believe that the extra traffic and added danger to drivers and pedestrians has been hugely underestimated and underplayed in the planning submission.

Brian said: “This is all the more worrying given that at certain places on the Carnbane Road two cars cannot pass without one having to pull in, not to mention of course that traffic is exiting on to the most dangerous road in the Province, the A1 Dual Carriageway, at an already dangerous junction, Eglantine/Harry’s Road.”

He went on: “To get planning approval for the original veterinary surgery the application had apparently to show a need for such a business, even though there was, and still is, two other similar veterinary businesses in the area.

“But what justification could there now possibly be for a Cat Rehoming Centre 20 times the size of an average dwelling house now being constructed on the same site?”

Another resident in the area, Maureen Roberts said: “Do homeless cats in cages or pens need to be accommodated in the countryside?

“Why should such a huge complex not be sited on one of the plethoria of brown-field sites up and down the country that are crying out for tenants?

Maureen continued: “The irony of the sitution is that the traffic problem caused by the Cats Protection development is that it will lead to more vehicle traffic.

“And vehicles of course are the major killer of domestic, well-looked-after pet cats!

“It is up to the Planners to Protect the Green Belt (and local pet cats) from the Cats Protection Centre or explain exactly to the public and local people why they have so far intimated their intention to approve this totally inappropriate development.”

Related topics: