Lee Valley Riding Stable

Date: Friday, 4 January, 2013, 16:42

Dear Mr. Harrison, Wishing you a happy new year.   I am writing with regard to the Lea Valley Riding Centre owned and operated by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority at Leyton Marsh (Porter's Field), Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, E10.   Shortly before Christmas 2012 it was noticed by passers-by that the covered, but otherwise open,  circular exercise area - which had been complained about but protesters were told that no planning permission was needed as the structure was not enclosed - has now been completely enclosed in what appears to be Perspex sheeting. This appears to have been done without planning permission and with no planning application apparently having been submitted or discussed.   You may recall that no planning permission was applied for in 2009 when the Regional Park Authority commenced construction of this covered exercise area for horses and ponies stabled at their Riding Centre.  This was queried at the time, by myself on behalf of the Lammas Lands Defence Committee and by others, including Mr. Jonathan (Jo) Brind.   Subsequently, the LVRPA have applied retrospectively for use of the riding stables as livery stabling (it only had permission for use as a riding school and training facility) and for a certificate of lawfulness in respect of a row of stables which had been constructed without planning permission having been applied for or granted. However, they do not appear to have applied for planning permission for an enclosed - as aopposed to a covered - exercise area for their horses. This appears to ba a further breach of planning legislation, and I should be grateful if you would kindly take this up with your Planning Control and Enforcement Sections and let me know their response.   Yours sincerely, Katy Andrews. --- On Mon, 5/12/11, Jonathan Brind <j@brind.tv> wrote: From: Jonathan Brind <j@brind.tv> Subject: Re: To: "Katy Andrews" <katyandrews2012@yahoo.co.uk> Date: Monday, 5 December, 2011, 23:24 On 5 Dec 2011, at 19:16, Katy Andrews wrote:   Dear Jo, It is quite clear to me that the circular “bandstand” area at the Riding Centre was under construction in April and May 2009 whilst the Planning Application for the additional  19 stables was going through.  NLLDC’s letter to John Harrison in July 2009 mentions this.   Our original letter of April 2009 mentions “recent building works” - and from memory this was the five stables which are the subject of your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman - I had obviously mentioned this when I met John Harrison near the end of the consultation period (which started just before Easter, and the documents were not put on-line so I had to go to the Town Hall in person to see them and he met me there) as I later referred in writing to the need for retrospective planning permission to be obtained.   I have a memory that the Lee Valley Regional Park had not shown the five new stables on the plans originally submitted to the Borough and they had to re-submit the application, which furthermore had not been properly advertised around the site, and that was the reason that they had to re-submit the application.   However, it has since transpired that (presumably by mistake) the original plan/map - and not the amended plan showing the illegally-constructed new stable block - seems to have been the one used at the presentation to the LBWF Planning Committee.   Katy.