Couple told to remove giant ‘catio’ for their cats despite petition to save it

Lorraine and Adrian Marshall have butted heads with Blackpool Council over their cat playground (Image: MEN Media)

A pair who created an journey playground for his or her 10 cats have been left ‘devastated’ after planning officers instructed them to knock it down.

Lorraine and Adrian Marshall have been locked right into a dispute with Blackpool Council for practically a 12 months over the £1,500 ‘catio’ they arrange of their entrance backyard final June.

After shedding three pets to highway accidents during the last 15 years, they wished to guard their ‘infants’ from killer site visitors.

Regardless of a petition that had greater than 26,000 signatures to save lots of the 8ft construction, the cat house owners had been instructed it's ‘in breach of planning management’.

A letter from the native authority said the Marshalls would both should submit a ‘retrospective planning permission’ or transfer the playground to an ‘applicable location’.

‘If we now have to go for planning permission, we are going to do this, if we now have to decrease it a couple of inches, we’ll decrease it a couple of inches,’ Lorraine mentioned.

‘However they’re saying it must be relocated and there’s nowhere for it to be relocated. It’s not doable, and I simply don’t see how it's hurting anybody.’

Pictured from left to proper are George, Toby, Mia, Kevin and Chester of their ‘catio’ in Blackpool (Image: MEN Media)

Fabricated from wooden and rooster wire, the play space was impressed by the ‘Jungle Jim’ attraction at Blackpool Tower and was designed to be equally stimulating.

The Marshalls even enlisted the experience of a panorama gardener from the city’s Furry Tails animal hospital.

Not lengthy after, it started attracting complaints from neighbours and Blackpool Council was compelled to intrude.

On the time, Lorraine mentioned: ‘I used to be heartbroken. How can I inform the cats that they will’t use it? It’s soul-destroying.

‘The vehicles fly down right here, and it’s a extremely busy avenue. I can’t allow them to out on the highway.

‘I’d should hold them in and that, to me, is merciless after we’ve allow them to out on this house. It’s not wholesome for them. They want recent air.’

Lorraine and Adrian have suffered lots of heartbreak through the years and this was their means of creating certain their beloved pets are protected.

The 8ft construction is dealing with recent menace of demolition after additional complaints to the council (Image: MEN Media)

The cat-loving couple first determined to take issues into their very own arms after nearly shedding a fourth pet (Image: MEN Media)

Again in 2006, their cat Charlie was killed in a highway accident. A decade later, poor Alfie was additionally crushed to dying by a car.

And in October 2020, their cat Phoebe was hit by a automotive after being spooked by fireworks.

Their eldest cat, Winston was additionally hit by a automotive 4 years in the past however he miraculously survived after in depth medical therapy.

It was all these tragic occasions that prompted the Marshalls to take motion.

Lorraine mentioned: ‘We now have ten cats in there, however they don’t dwell there on a regular basis. It’s simply going on the market to play.

‘It’s been up since June final 12 months. We couldn’t hold them cooped up in the home all day lengthy.

‘It’s not truthful on them as a result of they want recent air however they should be protected.’

Blackpool Council revealed that it has obtained additional complaints from neighbours within the final six months.

A spokesperson mentioned: ‘It's now six months since our preliminary contact with Mr and Mrs Marshall the place we suggested the construction that they had constructed didn't have planning permission.

‘We perceive that it's an upsetting state of affairs so wished to provide them a while to think about their choices.’

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