18/01518/AS – Proposed Stable block comprising 6 stables, hay store, tack room, feed room, store room and domestic 20m x 40m arena with access track at The Woodlands, Swain Road, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6SH
I am writing on behalf of the Tenterden & District Residents Association (TDRA) to object to this application for the following reasons:
- Site access: The site access leads on to a constrained road and considering the proposed number of stables/ horses would lead to an unacceptable increase in large vehicular use. The proposed track, parking provision and hard standing also appears disproportionate in scale for a domestic use scenario.
- Environmental impact: This proposal would represent an over intensification of development in proportion to the land available and its context, considering the amount of existing buildings on the site. We are also concerned with potential impact of waste flowing directly into adjacent ditches and ultimately into highly valued natural ponds causing harm to wildlife and protected species. Considering the would also cause unacceptable visual disturbance to neighbours.
- Visual impact: The scale of this proposal seems inappropriately large for purely domestic use and we agree with other comments this could set a precedent for a more commercial set up leading to further environmental and visual harm as well as further development.
- Animal welfare: Taking into account the erosion of actual grazing land by the scale of the proposal and the number of stables/ horses proposed, we are concerned that some parts of the Code of Practice requirements by DEFRA (Section 15 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006) are likely not to be met, particularly in relation to area of pasture per horse required.
Siggi Nepp – Planning Secretary
TDRA
