East Herts Council has refused plans for a stable block on Green Belt land in Bishop’s Stortford.
The proposals for meads land off Rye Street prompted more than 100 objections.
Residents feared that the scheme was a Trojan horse, designed to set a precedent for development.
Agent Mifta Ahmed had claimed: “The proposed stables are not intended for commercial use but solely for the applicant’s private use.”
But the council’s officers agreed with objectors - the proposals to accommodate four horses did not add up.
The whole site covers 1160 sq m or 0.116 hectares and the stables and parking would swallow up 212.6 sq m, leaving just 0.095 hectares of land for the horses to graze and use for exercise.
The British Horse Society recommends a ratio of one horse per 0.4 to 0.6 hectares on permanent grazing so four horses would require 1.6 to 2.4 hectares.
The council concludes: “Were feed to be brought on to the site, a reduction in pasture may be acceptable, however, it was clear from a visit to the site that the site has not been managed and there is currently no pasture and the site is almost entirely covered with nettles and a mix of grassland and scrub.
“Even if the pasture were to be improved, the size of the site would provide a substantial under provision of pasture.
“With regards to the space available to exercise horses, it is noted that the planning statement advises that the proposed fencing is required to prevent access to the neighbouring land; it is, therefore, unclear how the horses would be exercised.
“It is therefore considered that if the horses were to be permanently grazing within the site, it is likely that there would be an under-provision of land for grazing and the keeping of horses.”
As well as the animal welfare concerns, the council refused the scheme next to the River Stort because it would be inappropriate in the Green Belt and also constituted a flood risk.
The report says: “The proposed development would impede the flow of floodwater and reduce the capacity of the flood plain, consequently increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere.”
The access to the site is also highlighted: “No gates are proposed either across the proposed access or within the site to prevent horses from leaving the site; this is considered to be a significant highway safety concern.
Cars entering or leaving the land would also cause “additional traffic hazards” on Rye Street.
Environmental experts advised the council that the development risked damaging protected trees and the grassland while heritage advisors warned the site sits on the northern side of an Area of Archaeological Significance at Grange Paddocks, where important and extensive Roman remains have been unearthed.
The application plot is part of a larger area that was auctioned off in lots in 2021, fuelling concerns it would be targeted by speculators. A bid by the town council to buy the whole site was rejected.
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