Plans for two Lambourn racing yards are turned down

Officers at West Berkshire Council’s planning department denied permission to build four new homes at at Upshire Stables in Greenways.
A parallel application to demolish the existing racehorse training stables and barn was also rejected.
The applications sought construction of the homes, plus a new racehorse training yard incorporating stables, barn, store, office and horse walker.
Lambourn Parish Council objected to the homes proposal on the grounds of the density and the impact on the rural
character of the surrounding area.
There were five letters from residents expressing concerns over issues such as the pereceived adverse impact on
surrounding properties, traffic, access and the density of the proposed development.
There is a planning condition on an existing bungalow linking it to the yard use.
Planners likewise refused an application by Delamere Stables on Baydon Road to remove a condition that the land will only be used for racehorse training.
The owners wanted to use the stables for general equestrian purposes and not limit the use to the racehorse training industry. The application stated the yard was no longer “viable as a full racehorse
training establishment”.
In addition, there was a request that Delamere Cottage be allowed to revert to private residential use.
Lambourn Parish Council objected to the latter on the grounds that “racing stables need a person living on site”.
The application was accompanied by proposals for refurbishment of the yard and stables.
But a West Berkshire Council planning officer’s report stated: “It is not considered that new development would result in a yard that could not contribute to the continued viability of the racing industry on the site as a whole.
“Indeed the proposed works are to be generally encouraged. The planning obligation is therefore considered to serve a useful purpose.”
The application was duly rejected.
In 2012, Derby-winning trainer Paul Cole of Whatcombe accused the council of hobbling his business and others by charging him tens of thousands of pounds in business rates each year on empty horse boxes.
As a result, he said, he had to demolish historic stable boxes, among them the one that housed Derby winners Blakeney and Morston.
However, there are still more than 1,500 horses in training in the Lambourn Valley, with more than 50 racing yards.
According to the Jockey Club Estates organisation, horses using the training facilities in Lambourn have risen by 31.6 per cent since 2010.
Training ground manager Nick Patton said: “We believe, as the gallops improve and the cost of running private gallops continues to increase, the demand for yards and the number of of horses in training will continue to rise.”