WE'RE ALL CHAMPING AT THE BIT TO OPEN UP AGAIN

Campaign group's plea to council over future of popular riding school

- By ELLIOT JESSETT

A CAMPAIGN group is calling on Liverpool City Council to facilitate the reopening of a much-loved horse riding school in the heart of the city.

Friends of Gellings Riding School (FOG) are hoping to take on the running of the riding centre but say their efforts have been frustrated by the apparent inertia of the local authority.

Last year, the ECHO reported on the Gellings Riding School's survival campaign after a London-based property company revealed plans to sell off the land situated in Knowsley. Since then, campaigners, families and local politicians have come together to advocate for the preservation of the riding school and guarantee its future.

Nonetheless, that campaign has not stopped FOG from looking at opportunities to expand Merseyside's equine activities offer. Last year, the group submitted a proposal to Liverpool City Council to take on Croxteth Park Riding School and reopen it as a community and leisure asset.

After more than 40 years, Croxteth Park Riding Centre suspended its activities on November 1, 2021. This decision was due to a combination of factors including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, staffing shortages, and the lack of a lease with Liverpool City Council.