Plans to open a “pet hotel” in Newport have been dealt a major blow, as a planning application has been refused.

Earlier this year, plans were submitted to Newport City Council which would have seen a hotel for pets opened in the city.

If approved, owners of rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and tortoises would have been able to board their pets at the premises, located at 1 Blake Road in the Lliswerry area of the city.

It is designed for people to drop their pets off ahead of holidays or business trips.

Planning documents show that it would be a Now Boarding Pet Hotels franchise – which already has four pet hotels across the border.

South Wales Argus: How the accommodation for pets could lookHow the accommodation for pets could look

But, despite their website describing the business as “opening soon”, they have been dealt a blow – with the planning application refused.

According to council planning officers, the plans “would result in likely conflict, congestion and unsafe traffic movements”.

Everything you need to know about the plans – and why they have been refused

According to the plans, animals boarding at the site will be kept in hutches in a wooden building, located in the garden of 1 Blake Road.

The company’s website states: “Each Now Boarding Pet Hotel offers your pet a safe and loving environment in purpose built, air-conditioned and heated accommodation.”

This accommodation is described as being 2.4 metres wide and 2.3 metres tall, with a depth of six metres.

And, due to the size and type of animals catered for, there is not estimated to be any noise concerns.

But, it would prove to be traffic concerns which led to plans being refused.

Despite the applicant claiming that the property has a drive where customers can park, and that visitors could only pick up or drop off pets by way of appointment, it was not enough to satisfy council planning officers.

Considering the plan, the address on Blake Road is described as being in a “small, quiet cul-de-sac with a single width highway where properties are, in combination with the properties along Frobisher Road, laid out in a relatively high density”.

Continuing, they said that “Given the tight layout of the properties in the vicinity of the application site, it is considered that the neighbouring properties would be materially affected by the increased movements of vehicles and persons to the area, to the detriment of local residential amenity.

“Furthermore, the sheer number and frequency of visits to the site within this small, residential cul-de-sac would conflict with the residential character of the area.”

The planning officer also noted concerns that the area could become additionally busy during periods such as school holidays, along with fears that appointment times “would be unenforceable in reality with some unexpected overlapping and speculative visits highly possible.”

As a result, it was concluded that “the level of noise and disturbance generated by visiting customers would be detrimental to both neighbouring residential amenity and the character of the area.

“The proposal would also result in likely conflict, congestion and unsafe traffic movements on the highway, and a detrimental impact on highway and pedestrian safety.”