We had a request to assist with a client who had struggled unsuccessfully to obtain planning permission for a horse arena that in fact had received a refusal from their Planning Authority prior to our involvement.
After a site meeting we instructed our specialist equestrian planner and landscape architect to endeavour to overturn the planning refusal. We achieved this within 6 months and started work on site soon after.
One of the problems with this site was that it was in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the ground was very steeply sloping. This required a major excavation of approximately 8 metres at one end and a build up at the other end of 12 metres. Due to the extent of this build up, the fill materials had to be reinforced as well as compacted in layers to prevent future slippage and/or settlement. Because of the depth of excavation and the slope on the surrounding land additional drainage was required to divert storm water away from the arena.
The horse arena features a post and rail fence with training mirrors incorporated at one end and a waxed riding surface was the clients’ preferred choice.
As you can see the final result works very well and our client was amazed at the final outcome on an area of land he had not believed an arena would be possible.
