New houses makes site unsafe, says riding school

Folly Farm says it is moving its equestrian centre from Yaxley to Farcet

A riding school said it would be moving from its current site after it felt it was no longer a "safe, peaceful home" for horses due to a potential new development.

The Folly Farm Equestrian Centre is currently based at a stables off London Road in Yaxley, near Peterborough.

Huntingdonshire District Council initially refused Abbey Properties Cambridgeshire Ltd planning permission to build 115 new homes on the greenfield site in Yaxley, but the developer appealed the decision to the Planning Inspectorate.

The riding school said the equestrian centre was already affected by construction work on the neighbouring Great Haddon development.

In a statement, the riding school said: "While the final decision is still pending, the reality is that the ongoing construction work from the Great Haddon development has already changed our environment.

"Sadly, our current site is no longer the safe, peaceful home it once was for our horses.

"Increased foot traffic on the public path through Folly Farm, constant construction noise, and the changing surroundings all bring extra risks and stress for them.

"Our horses' welfare has always been – and will always be – our number one priority.

"With the area now set to become a fully built-up development, it's clear this is not a sustainable site for a riding school going forward."

More than 5,000 homes are being built at the Great Haddon development on Peterborough City Council land, just outside Yaxley

The equestrian centre said it has found a possible new site in the village of Farcet.

It added: "This larger site will offer a far nicer and more peaceful environment for our horses and clients, with improved facilities, better hacking, and the space to provide enhanced services"

Huntingdonshire District Council initially refused to grant permission for the development in Yaxley, as it claimed it would "result in harm to the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside".

The Planning Inspectorate is considering Abbey Properties Cambridgeshire Ltd's appeal, which it will decide upon later this year.

At a recent planning inquiry, Huntingdon District Council said it would not be defending the appeal as it now believed the development could go ahead.

Yaxley Parish Council has maintained its objection to the new homes being built over concerns about highway safety and the "compromising of the buffer between Peterborough and Yaxley".