Paralympian fears farm building may scare horses

Paralympic gold medallist Sir Lee Pearson has lost his fight against plans for a farm building in the Staffordshire countryside, which he feared could frighten his horses.

The 14-time Paralympic dressage champion said he was concerned the animals could be spooked by noise from the proposed development at the Grade II listed Basford Hall, near Cheddleton.

He was one of 12 residents who objected to the application for an agricultural storage building.

At a Staffordshire Moorlands District Council meeting on Tuesday councillors voted to approve the plans.

The proposed building would be 445 square metres (4,790 sq ft) in size and 8.5m (27 ft) high.

It would be used for the storage of farm equipment such as tractors and trailers, and up to 20 tonnes of woodchip, to be used as fuel for the estate’s two biomass boilers.

Sir Lee said he used land nearby, at his parents’ home, to prepare for international equestrian competitions.

He stated: “I have huge concerns over my horses being spooked by the proximity of the proposed building and the noise that is likely to come from there.”

As well as submitting his own objection, Sir Lee signed a joint letter by local residents opposing the plans.

The letter cited a range of concerns, including a lack of information relating to the building’s proposed use, the impact on heritage assets, the potential for increased tree felling on the estate, and the proposal could set a precedent for further development.

Despite this, planning officers believed the development to be acceptable as the proposal was linked to rural activity.

Their report said that while the applicant said no machine working was being proposed, the residents’ concerns over noise were understandable.

They recommended a condition to control and avoid undue noise disturbance.

Planning officer Arne Swithenbank said the building did risk being prominently visible in the countryside but that it was not “overbearing” from the building.

The scheme was acceptable with landscaping, he said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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