Landowner 'unaware' he needed planning permission for 60-acre horse riding centre

In an unusual planning appliction to North Yorkshire Council, Gary Vasey is seeking retrospective consent to retain stables he has built and to change the use of agricultural barns and land off Northallerton Road, Brompton, as a commercial livery and exercise arena.

The application comes amid mounting concerns over non-agricultural developments on farmland in North Yorkshire, with MPs, community leaders and residents highlighting food security issues and calling for planners to protect existing farmland.

In addition, planning rules stipulate developments in open countryside must be viewed as having exceptional reasons to warrant being granted.

Alongside opportunities for hacking on the site, the application states the livery yard offers ten clients all year turnout, an indoor and outdoor arena and full set of show jumps, while the stables have tack and feed rooms and a wash box.

Papers lodged with the authority state Brompton Livery has operated at the site for three years and that the council had “requested” the application to address the unauthorised use of the buildings and land to the south of Northallerton Rugby Club.

The documents state Mr Vasey owns and rents land extending to Danby Wiske and the site forms part of his “substantial agricultural operation” in the area.

The application states the proposals represent a suitable rural land use for the site, which has “somewhat limted” prospects for a viable agricultural use despite having been used for a farming business for decades.

It states: “The area around the site has urbanised since 2001 and become less suited to traditional, more agricultural use.

The barns used for agriculture were underused and no longer required by our client for their original agricultural purposes. This has led to them repurposing underused land and buildings for a more viavle business use as a livery stables and supporting arena.”

The papers claim Brompton Livery is a “diversification to less intensive use that is more sympathetic to its location, enabled through the re-use of existing and structurally sound buildings that can accommodate the intended equestrian use and have appropriate parking to do so”.

The application also claims tat all other livery yards in the area have lengthy waiting lists and since the business was launched it has become a community asset.

The application adds: “Whilst it is appreciated that it is not a conventional agricultural use, the proposed activity represents a use that would not materially alter the landscape…

“It should also be noted that a more conventional agricultural use could have much more of an intensive impact on the landscape, for example the keeping of pigs/sheep on the land, and simple grazing of horses less of a visible impact upon the landscape being suitable managed through proper rotation across the land…

“Our client has acted in goodwill to engage throughout the enforcement process and were unaware the development constituted a breach of planning control. They are keen to work with eth council to resolve the unauthorised development.”