A BUSINESSMAN is reassuring neighbours that he is not running a kennelling service alongside his dog-grooming business.

Pendle Council planning officers served Alessandro Pulidori with an enforcement notice, ordering him to stop running his PediGROOM business in part of an outbuilding.

The action was taken after Mr Pulidori set up the business at Lower Beardshaw Head, in Burnley Road, Trawden, without applying for a change of use.

Council officers had also received allegations that a kennels had been built and a kennelling business was being run at the rural site.

Mr Pulidori conceded that he had started the dog-grooming business without gaining prior permission after he received some bad advice. But he stressed that he had not built any kennels and had no intention of doing so.

An appeal has been lodged against refusal for a change of use to allow the dog-grooming business.

Mr Pulidori said: “I was told I wouldn’t need to apply for a change of use because I was not making any alterations, so I started the dog-grooming business.

“I have one kennel for my own dog, but that doesn’t require permission because it is only small. I have never run a kennelling business or built kennels and I want to make that clear to the villagers.”