Creating a stable income
‘Staycations’ and equestrian holidays are on the rise in the UK — and savvy landowners can make the most of their outbuildings to capitalise on this trend
HORSE riding holidays in the UK are growing in popularity, with an estimated 3 million people taking such a holiday each year. Tourism is a significant contributor to the UK economy which continues to grow as an ever-increasing number of people choose to take staycations. With sustainable rural tourism initiatives being given support through the planning system, now is a great time to be getting involved in equine tourism.
At Batcheller Monkhouse we specialise in advising on rural land and property issues and have a great deal of expertise in the equestrian industry. We are seeing an increasing number of clients interested in the partial conversion of existing stables or redundant outbuildings to provide accommodation for holidaymakers and their horses under one roof.
Buildings must generally be of an appropriate size, be suitable for conversion and be in close proximity to bridleways to be considered to have potential. However, if your building is in a poor state of repair or would be uneconomic to convert, it could be acceptable to replace it with a well-designed new building of similar scale.
We have successfully argued that replacement buildings allow for a better end result, such as through the use of energy efficient materials and a higher quality design. The latter point is particularly important in sensitive areas such as National Parks where the opportunity to improve the appearance of a site is often welcomed by planning authorities.
A recent example in the South Downs National Park involved a stable building that was partially dilapidated and in need of renovation. The planning authority supported its replacement with a new building providing stabling and self-contained holiday accommodation. The need for more forms of
‘Horse riding holidays in the UK are growing in popularity’
tourism accommodation in the area, alongside improved stabling facilities which would enable and encourage greater exploration of the National Park were points in its favour. The new building was kept to a similar scale and utilised traditional materials to offer a subtle enhancement to the appearance of the site.
Farms and livery yards can also diversify into the holiday industry by providing overnight accommodation such as camping or glamping and bed and breakfast accommodation alongside stabling. This provides people with the ability to explore new areas of countryside on horseback with excellent secure facilities for their horse upon return from a day’s exploring.
● Contact the Batcheller Monkhouse Planning Team for further information: batchellermonkhouse.com, 01798 877555 or 01892 509280