Wymondham farm aims to get tails wagging with business hub...for dogs!

Dog agility trainer Jayne Widdess with Bass at the new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Barnards Farm on Youngmans Road will soon also house Centre Paws - a pack of like-minded businesses on the same site catering to the needs of a very specific - four-legged - customer base.

Some of the aspects that will be included in the hub will be grooming business Scruffy2Fluffy, DB Dog Training and a dog-friendly café called Blackberry Tea Rooms.

Since August 2016, a series of planning applications have been lodged with South Norfolk District Council for the various aspects of the hub, the most recent of which was submitted earlier this month.

The latest, submitted by Scruffy2Fluffy owner Samantha Johnson, is for a dog day care centre.

The dog agility course with collie Bass weaving through the poles at the new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

The hub is brainchild of Kathryn Cross, who owns the land it will be placed on.

She said: 'The whole idea started a few years ago, when I saw a post on social media from a dog-owner looking for somewhere secluded to let her dog off the lead.

'Once we began using the land as a dog exercise field we were inundated with others wanting to use it too and the idea grew from there.'

Mrs Cross, a former reporter for this newspaper, has since teamed up with Miss Johnson and Jayne Widdess, of DB Dog Training, to form the Centre Paws vision.

The dog agility course with collie Bass on the dog walk at the new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

She added: 'I don't think there is really anything else quite like this about. We will now have all these different things for dogs which will be in one place - it's really exciting.'

Applications for the dog grooming parlour aspect has already been approved by the council, as has one to convert a shed into the café, which has been named after one of Mrs Cross' own dogs - a four-year-old Labrador called Blackberry.

Several other aspects have also been touted, including walks around the farms, boot camp exercise schemes for people and pooches and canine therapies.

Mrs Cross added: 'I keep getting more and more people coming to me with suggestions and the more the merrier.'

Blackberry, four, ready for a bath at the dog grooming salon with groomer Sam Johnson, at the new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

The dog agility course with collie Bass sailing over a jump at the new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Blackberry, four, ready for a bath at the dog grooming salon with groomer Sam Johnson, at the new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Blackberry, four, ready for a bath at the dog grooming salon at the new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Kathryn Cross, second right, at the dog friendly cafe at her new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. With her from left, Collie Bass, agility trainer Jayne Widdess, Blackberry, and groomer Sam Johnson. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Kathryn Cross, second right, at the dog friendly cafe at her new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. With her from left, Collie Bass, agility trainer Jayne Widdess, Blackberry, and groomer Sam Johnson. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Kathryn Cross, second right, at the dog friendly cafe at her new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. With her from left, Collie Bass, agility trainer Jayne Widdess, Blackberry, and groomer Sam Johnson. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Kathryn Cross, second right, at the dog friendly cafe at her new business hub for all things canine at Barnards Farm at Wymondham. With her from left, Collie Bass, agility trainer Jayne Widdess, Blackberry, and groomer Sam Johnson. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)