Village News

Green Light for Allmanor Stables

The long running saga on the development of Allmanor Stables between High Road and Markedge Lane to create a world-class centre for the breeding and training of dressage horses has finally been given the green light.  The current revised application from the owners of the site, Mr. and Mrs. Visser, has been approved by the RBBC planning committee on 1^st August.  The application now has to go to the Secretary of State for the final seal of approval.

The previous application submitted in 2011 was refused on the grounds that the scale, bulk and siting of the proposed buildings would be harmful to the openness of the Green Belt and the Surrey Hills AONB, together with the loss of visual amenity to neighbouring residential properties.  The current application is a substantial revision, with the relocation of the principal buildings to enhance visual amenity, together with improved screening around the site.

Taken with proposals from the same owners for the adjoining Priors Field site, this revised application would involve an investment of £7m-plus in land, landscape improvements, restoration of two locally-listed Edwardian buildings and specialist facilities for the valuable horses which can fetch more than £1m each when fully trained.

The development would significantly improve a site that is in poor and deteriorating condition and thus harms the landscape. It creates a horse breeding and training establishment built to full international standards which would contribute to the quality of international dressage in the country.