A housing development will be built on the site of a riding stables in Stevenage, after planning permission was granted last week.

Demolition of Courtlands Riding Stables in Todds Green has already been approved, and Stevenage Borough Council's Planning and Development Committee has now approved the building of 11 three-bedroom and six four-bedroom houses on the site.

The Old Chantry Lane stables, which opened in 1977, permanently closed in April last year after the owner, Jacky Halling, said it had become "increasingly obvious" the family business was "becoming unprofitable".

READ MORE 

She said: "Unfortunately, over the past 10 years we have seen a progressive downturn in business, with so many other activities coming along, including a lot of indoor adventure centres."

Jacky said other factors leading to the closure included competition from other riding schools in the area, the cost of hay almost doubling year on year, and the buildings on the site being in a state of disrepair, with the large indoor riding school building requiring "some serious works to the roof".

A report by a Stevenage Borough Council planning officer to the Planning and Development Committee recommended approval of the proposed development, saying: "The principle of development is considered to be acceptable as it would help the council to meet its housing requirement over the local plan period.

READ MORE 

"The benefits of the development from a reduction in the amount of hardstanding and footprint across the site together with the substantial amount of landscaping proposed, including an extensive wild flower meadow, result in a conclusion that the proposed development is acceptable in land use policy terms and would have a less than substantial impact on the Green Belt.

"It is considered that the proposed development, combined with its overall benefits, would not substantially harm the longer views from Todds Green or the Green Belt. The development has been designed to a high standard, a clearly defined street layout and high quality areas of green infrastructure."

Planning permission was granted with a raft of conditions, including that all the windows in the new houses must be triple glazed.