A statement from BarkRun in response to negativity & rumours on social media.
Following a number of negative posts on social media, we would like to address many of the misconceptions and rumours surrounding both BarkRun and the field in which we are operating.
The field in which BarkRun is operating is private land, owned by the relatives of the Bark Run founders. BarkRun was setup to provide dog owners with a safe and secure space where they can exercise their dogs, with peace of mind that they can roam free without the risk of interaction with aggressive dogs or the risk that their dogs do not recall.
Common Misconceptions
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We are operating illegally
We have a planning consultant who we are working with and we are following all of the legal requirements very closely.
This has been confirmed by the local town councillors & a planning enforcement officer.
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We have blocked off the path
We have not structurally changed the entrance to the field in anyway. We have patched a hole that was created in the hedge to ensure the field is secure and we have reinstated existing fence lines around the perimeter of the field.
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Sandfield Wood access
Sandfield Wood is also private property and there is currently no public right of way through the wood itself. There are a number of dangerously fragile and unstable trees in these woods so it is not advised to walk through.
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We have not communicated our plans to local residents
We have posted information leaflets on the entrance to the field on a number of occasions, unfortunately these were regularly ripped down. We created an information website when our initial fencing was being installed. This website has had over 1,000 views by local people.
Finally, we have spoken with a number of local residents face to face, posted information leaflets through doors and actively encouraged anybody with concerns to reach out to us for discussion. -
BarkRun has caused congestion on the roadside
We have ample space for parking inside of the field and to date none of our customers have parked on the road side. So any inconvenience caused for local residents is absolutely minimal.
The cars that were parked opposite BarkRun which caused the congestion on our opening date were all owned by the homeowners of the houses opposite the field.
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If we stop the dog park, the path with be re-instated
If our planning application is rejected, this will not by default lead to the fencing being taken down.
The field would then be used for other purposes, which could include a livery. There is a stable on the field which could be reinstated. Alternatively, cattle or other animals are being considered as a secondary option for the field.
Again, as no public right of way is currently present, with these above mentioned concepts in review, we would continue to secure the field.
CCTV
CCTV was installed to monitor and capture damage which was taking place on the field. Multiple individuals were caught on video causing criminal damage to the fencing and our property. This video was handed over to the police which clearly identified the individuals involved and compensation is currently being negotiated to avoid unnecessary criminal prosecutions taking place.
It has been stated on a number of occasions that we have ‘accused’ individuals of causing damage. This is not the case, any information which has been passed onto the police has been accompanied by high resolution CCTV footage, clearly showing significant damage being done.
Why can the public not walk down the side?
The purpose of Bark Run is to provide a safe and secure space for our visitors to use. Many of our customers have nervous dogs who are not good at socialising with other dogs. For this reason, we cannot allow access to the general public outside of a hire scenario as these individuals may bring in dogs that would potentially cause distress to the dogs in the paddock.
There is a public footpath which goes behind the field, this is still a circular walk. We would encourage local residents to continue to use the official public rights of way.
Contact us, we want to start a discussion.
If you would like to contact us to discuss any of the above topics, or discuss any other concerns that you may have, we would encourage that.
We can arrange to meet on site, or we are also very happy to have a phone conversation.
Please reach out to us using our contact form.