Farm shop owner wins appeal to keep stable blocks

A STABLE block and horse training area in Drury that was refused retrospective planning permission by Flintshire County Council has been saved on appeal.

- By ALEC DOYLE Local Democracy Reporter

Lester Thompson, who owns Lesters Farm Shop, applied for permission to normalise equestrian facilities he had built at the farm off Drury New Road.

He constructed two stable blocks for 10 horses and a permeable sand manege, an area for training horses that reduces the risk of injury.

When he submitted his application to Flintshire council's planning department earlier this year planning officers recommended approval. While the land is classed as green wedge in Flintshire’s Local Development Plan, leisure developments for which a countryside location is essential, such as equestrianism, are allowed.

When the council's planning committee rejected officers’ advice and turned down the proposal, Mr Thompson took his case to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).