THE owners of a day-care centre for dogs near Eddleston say they will do “everything in their power” to ensure the business stays open.

Paul Lawrie and his fiancée Fiona McCallum were speaking this week after failing to overturn a planning rebuff relating to their venture – The Fast & The Furriest – which operates on seven acres of farmland south-west of Milkieston Toll House.

The Local Review Body (LRB) of Scottish Borders Council agreed on Monday that local planning officer Euan Calvert was right to refuse retrospective consent for a shelter and a six-foot-high perimeter fence on the site.

The couple claimed that in March 2015 they sought advice from the council’s planning department about their proposals.

Mr Lawrie said: “We were told the type of fencing we required was commonly used to protect deer from the roads and there would be no issue erecting it within our existing fence.

“Similarly, we were advised there would be no issue with the shelter building on the site of a former stable which had fallen into disrepair and been dismantled.”

Having carried out the work, signed a 15-year-lease with the landowner and purchased a van to convey their canine guests to and from the centre, the couple were “utterly shocked” in August that year to be told by a council enforcement officer that a planning application was required.

And last summer, having traded for a year, they learned their retrospective bid had been rejected by Mr Calvert using delegated powers.

The officer deemed that the fence and shelter would have “an adverse impact on the amenity and character of the surrounding area” and were “unsuitable for this particular country location”. 

The refusal also specified that the “intensified vehicle usage” of the access onto the A703 would have “a detrimental impact on road safety”.

In January this year, Mr Lawrie and Ms McCallum lodged a formal appeal, challenging the ruling, but this was dismissed on Monday by the nine-councillor LRB.

After the meeting, SBC said: “The council will now consider what is the best form of formal enforcement action.”

Ms McCallum told the Peeblesshire News: “We are naturally very disappointed, but we will now do everything in our power to ensure the business stays open.

“We feel it has become an important part of the Peeblesshire community, allowing hard-working families to go to work knowing their dogs are cared for in a safe, fun and responsible environment.

“Throughout this process we have always stressed our interest in working together with the council to ensure our business met with its approval. Unfortunately, due to a lack of communication and a change of personnel [at the council], this has been extremely frustrating.

“We created The Fast and the Furriest as a small, family-run business through our love of dogs and, as our customers know, we treat them each as if they were part of the family in a safe and happy environment.”

Customer Hannah Lawson told us: “I hope the council sees sense on this one and I struggle to see what all the fuss is about.

“We trust Paul and Fiona with our dog each week and it would be a terrible loss if the centre cannot continue.”