A planning application has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council to change the use of 4.53 hectares of arable land to the east of Ladycarr Lane. The fields would be surrounded by an 1.8m fence, inset by 6m from the boundary hedgerow with the intervening area to be planted as a wildflower buffer and species-rich mature hedgerow. A shared waiting area would be created for arriving customers, with each field having its own ‘in-field’ parking area for use by customers during their session. The site would be inspected once a day by the owners or one of their employees, with the applicant already operating a number of secure dog walking fields in the wider area, including at Darlington and Thirsk, and was “therefore very experienced in the management of these facilities”. The report said dog ownership the UK has risen over the past few years and there was an increasing demand for secure dog walking fields.