Friday, July 11, 2025
Teesdale Mercury
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Teesdale Mercury
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT

Champion pony breeders face planning hurdle

by Teesdale Mercury
July 23, 2020
in News
Champion pony breeders face planning hurdle

TOP BREEDERS: David and Alison Eccles with daughter Rachel Cook in 2016. The family are well known for the sheer number of prizes they win at pony shows

PLANS for an equine centre in Lartington have been put on hold because of fears over the impact on woodland.

Dales Pony breeders David and Alison Eccles had hoped to build holiday accommodation and a timber cabin to host pony training events on land along Lartington Lane, but county planners recommended it be refused.

Planning officer Stephen Pilkington told the south and west planning committee’s meeting last week that it would be sited in an area of high landscape value, would impact negatively on Lartington Hall Park and the development was too close to an ancient woodland.

ADVERTISEMENT

Lartington Parish Council had also objected. However, county councillor Richard Bell, who represents the area, said there had been a storm-damaged Dutch barn on the site and the new development would be a significant improvement. He said: “He [Mr Eccles] thought, perhaps rather naively, that if he took that down he would be able to agree an erection of a replacement building in a less obtrusive location with superior materials. That is reasonable assumption to make.

“That would appear to be a tactical error because this application is now being treated as if it were a virgin site.”

Cllr Bell said the site is not visible from Lartington Lane because of hedgerows so there would be little impact on the high value landscape views. He added: “Even if all the hedgerows were removed at a stroke the site is not visible from the hall park nor is the hall park visible from the site. There is no visible link between the two.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Cllr Bell pointed out that the “ancient woodland” was populated by self-seeding birch trees between 20 and 30 years old, but committee chairman John Clare said soil and location, rather than tree age, determined ancient status. Cllr Ted Henderson, who also represents the area, spoke in favour of the development saying it would bring economic benefits to Teesdale and would provide employment. Several committee members were also in favour because of these reasons but others continued to worry about the ancient woodland.

The committee voted seven to five in favour of deferring the decision until more information is known about the impact on the woodland.

ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

This week’s TM

Next Post

Last ball heartbreak for Raby’s junior cricketers

ADVERTISEMENT
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Most popular

Christian centre’s £70,000 revamp

Christian centre’s £70,000 revamp

July 11, 2025
Green Lane early years team among best in country

Green Lane early years team among best in country

July 7, 2025
Use it or lose it: Barnard Castle newsagents at risk

Use it or lose it: Barnard Castle newsagents at risk

July 9, 2025
Water supplier’s £15m pledge to clean up act

Water supplier’s £15m pledge to clean up act

July 10, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

15C Harmire Enterprise Park
Barnard Castle
Co Durham
DL12 8BN

Email: [email protected]

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190

VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • Art & Leisure
  • Business
  • Country Life
  • Features
  • News
  • Sport
  • Test Drive
  • Digital edition

Useful links

  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Buy your paper
  • Photosales
  • Digital edition
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact

© 2024