DOG owners visiting the Yorkshire Dales National Park do not know where they can exercise their pets, a meeting has heard.

A meeting of the national park authority’s planning committee heard numerous members claim there was a clear need for dog exercise fields offering secure spaces for dogs to play off lead as a proposal to create the first one in the 841sq mile area was rejected.

A narrow majority of members voted to refuse the creation of a dog exercise field beside the grade I listed medieval Devil’s Bridge, near Kirkby Lonsdale, after members said protecting the area surrounding what is considered “far the finest bridge in the North of England” must take precedence over providing more facilities for visitors.

Annie Golden, of Pooch Pods, told members how dog ownership had “grown ridiculously” in recent years and owners wanted to exercise them in beautiful scenery, so she hoped to launch an enclosed private field for them in the park’s western area.

She said the venture was a response to feedback from customers to her nearby dog-related business and that it followed reports in the area over sheep worrying and several dog attacks.

Ms Golden said with Kirkby Lonsdale being a tourist attraction, everything was provided for visitors with regards to public toilets, food vendors as well as a place for people to sit and have picnics where dogs were “unfortunately” not able to let off the lead.

Dairy farmer and member Allen Kirkbride told the meeting there was a need for the proposal as “every other visitor has a dog” and that those staying in villages just “let them out” in the surrounding fields.

He said he could not see many issues with Ms Golden’s plan as the proposed post and rail fencing could be seen on farms “all round the Dales”.

The meeting also heard claims dogs would be better behaved on local footpaths if they had already enjoyed chasing a ball or a stick in the proposed exercise field.

The authority’s cultural heritage champion, Libby Bateman, said a common thread on local social media sites was visitors asking where they could let their dogs off the lead.

She added: “The answer’s actually nowhere. Because we can’t say you’ve got a right to roam on the fell, but can’t let your dog off the lead on the fell.

“Just this week I’ve had visitors and a sheep being worried, being attacked on the fell by us.”

Upper Dales councillor and member Yvonne Peacock added: “It isn’t just visitors – local people who live in the area don’t know where they can take their dogs. This does not spoil the landscape of the national park.”

The meeting heard that the area around Devil's Bridge became 'extremely congested' at the weekends and visitors to the proposed site could make it worse. Its proposed location, opposite the bridge was also in the 'totally wrong' location.