Rutland County Council refuses permission for temporary workers' property at rabbit farm site near Hambleton

Rutland County Council has refused a planning application for a temporary workers' property and an agricultural building at a rabbit fur farm.

The application was submitted by T&S Rabbits for its site near Hambleton.

The council's planning officers deemed the design for the proposed agricultural building to be inconsistent with existing buildings or landscape features in the local area and said it would appear particularly prominent, "causing significant harm to what is a sensitive and largely undeveloped landscape".

Without the agricultural building there would be no way of operating a commercial enterprise at the site and therefore no need for a workers’ dwelling, as was also proposed.

The council also said the proposal was "directly at odds" with planning policy relating to Rutland Water, which states that any new developments near the reservoir should be small scale for recreation, sport and tourism facilities. Such development would also have to be considered "critical" for nature conservation, fishing or the essential operation of existing facilities.

Last month, there was a protest at the farm, which sells rabbit fur products, as well as meat.