Hearing set over council enforcement notice affecting Omagh dog‑walking service
A hearing at the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) in Belfast this Friday will consider an appeal against an enforcement notice served by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council that has prevented a local dog‑walking business from using a fenced field on Old Mountfield Road, Omagh.
The case involves Mechtild “Mitch” Charisus, who runs Tyrone Pet Services and who had been exercising dogs in the field with the landowner’s permission since last summer. The council’s notice ordered her to stop using the land, stating that a formal change of use application was required.
Ms Charisus says she established the site, which she describes as a quiet and secure paddock, after moving from Seskinore Forest to provide a safer area where dogs could roam freely under supervision. She added that she, and two women who assist her, had been looking after the site’s entrance and had fenced the field in June last year.
“I don’t want to annoy anyone, but I am heartbroken. I’ve worked so hard to make this dream come true. I love what I do, and my two helpers love it too. It would be devastating if I had to close.”
The enforcement notice followed what the council records as a noise complaint and stated that the activity required a change of use application. Ms Charisus says she was not informed she needed to apply for such permission before she began using the land.
The matter has prompted disagreement within the local community. Ms Charisus told the Ulster Herald that the field provided a secure space away from the public highway, one which was suitable for supervising dogs and also assisted two individuals with special needs who take part in the work. She said the operation involved exercising dogs for about an hour a day under supervision.
Before moving to the field, Ms Charisus had been using Seskinore Forest, but sought a more enclosed and private area. A friend introduced her to the landowner who gave permission for the use. The dispute escalated, she said, after an incident in which a passerby shouted at the site, reportedly provoking the dogs and leading to the complaint that preceded the council’s action.
What will the hearing consider?
The Planning Appeals Commission will review the grounds of the enforcement notice and Ms Charisus’s appeal. The PAC hearing provides an opportunity to examine whether the use of the land required a formal planning application and whether the council’s enforcement action was appropriate in the circumstances.
Key factual elements before the PAC include:
- The timeline of events: permission to use the field from last summer, fencing completed in June, subsequent noise complaint and enforcement notice in April.
- The nature of the activity: supervised dog exercising for approximately an hour daily, with assistance from two helpers, one of whom has special needs involvement.
- The council’s position that a change of use planning application is required for the activity undertaken on the field.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Old Mountfield Road, Omagh |
| Business | Tyrone Pet Services |
| Action | Enforcement notice by Fermanagh & Omagh District Council; appeal to PAC |
| Hearing | PAC, Belfast – Friday (this week) |
The case raises broader issues for communities and small enterprises in Omagh and elsewhere about informal use of privately owned land, planning regulations and how councils respond to complaints from neighbours. For local residents, the outcome will clarify whether similar informal arrangements must be formalised through the planning system or whether they may continue under permissions granted by landowners.
The PAC decision could have implications for other local operators who use private land with the landowner’s consent, particularly where the activity involves regular attendance or could be perceived to affect neighbours.
As the hearing approaches, residents and interested parties will watch closely for the commission’s approach to balancing private land use, community benefit and statutory planning controls.
