The development plan

Years of under investment have left Cheston Farm today in need of a much needed make over. Planning permission for a comprehensive redevelopment of the site and facilities has today just been granted.

Work will now continue on:

• Reroofing and resurfacing of the 50m by 30m indoor arena – to provide a competition level facility (Autumn 2008);
• Installing 12 new loose boxes and a treatment area in one of the Farm’s three barns (Autumn 2008);
• Installing a horse walker (Autumn 2008);
• Constructing a new 40m by 20m outdoor arena, adjacent to the indoor arena (spring 2009);
• The demolition of the current café and replacing this with a new contemporary yet practical clubhouse facility complete with changing rooms, lecture/viewing area and outdoor decking area (summer 2009); and
• Upgrading of the paddocks and fencing (ongoing)

In more detail

Our approved plans will involve upgrading the indoor school in a big way, this for use by our liveries, for lessons, lecture demos and competitions. The surface will be removed, the base underneath levelled and made good and a new equestrian surface brought in. The roof also will also be replaced.

The old cafe and reception areas will be demolished and we will replace this with a light, modern, contemporary yet practical facility. This will incorporate a new cafe with an outdoor decked area for those warm summer nights when lessons or lecture demos can be watched; a meeting room for clubs/societies to use; and changing rooms with full facilities. Of course the all important gallery overlooking the indoor arena will be central to the new development providing a warm viewing area for winter indoor competitions or training sessions.

And outdoors? Yes, more plans. A new outdoor school, to be located behind the indoor arena and overlooked by the new deck, again for our liveries and lesson customers but also for use as a warm up arena for competitions.

A cross country schooling area is a longer term plan and ultimately, a full X-C course may be built around our 35 acre site. The old outdoor arena will continue to serve well as a winter turnout play pen if the winter weather makes the fields too nasty.

Finally, a horse walker has proved invaluable to us in the past, keeping horses fit, sane and occupied especially in winter.

The arena facilities will be made available to hire out in parts or as a whole and we hope to have a membership scheme giving discounts to regular users.