Plans submitted for professional race horse training facility in Sussex
Cynthia Woods Racing, operating at Green Hedges Farm in Crowborough, has applied for permission from Rother District Council for gallops used to train professional race horses.
A gallop is a dedicated track or surface designed for horses to exercise at high speeds, often used for training and conditioning.
The retrospective application aims to secure the continued operation of Mrs Woods's professional race horse training business, which relocated to Green Hedges Farm in late 2016.
Initially, Mrs Woods trained eight horses for point-to-point racing, a popular form of amateur horse racing, at the farm.
The location was ideal for the fitness training and welfare of the horses, with access to hills on quiet roads, bridleways, and Eridge Park for fast work training.
However, in 2018, the use of Eridge Park was withdrawn due to a new deer contract with Waitrose, forcing Mrs Woods to make a 50-mile round trip to Bo Peep on the Sussex Downs, three to four times a week, for galloping.
Due to a shrinking pool of point-to-point racing enthusiasts, the death of one of Ms Woods's biggest customers in 2019, and the effects of the pandemic, Mrs Woods turned to professional racing to sustain her business.
In September 2020, she was granted a professional licence, allowing her to race horses on licensed race courses.
The British Horseracing Authority, as part of the licensing conditions, required gallops of approximately six furlongs within hacking distance of the stables.
Mrs Woods managed to secure temporary approval for using a neighbouring farm's larger fields for professional training.
However, this arrangement ended in September 2022, leaving Mrs Woods in need of a training facility or facing the closure of her business.
With the immediate availability of a local tradesman, Mrs Woods began constructing gallops on her own land in July 2021.
Fontwell Park racecourse, one of the locations that Cynthia Woods horses race (Image: Nick MacNeill) The construction was undertaken on the assumption that the gallops would be covered under the previously granted planning permission for equestrian use.
The gallops were designed to ensure the exercising of horses in a professional manner, while also incorporating drainage to make the land more usable.
This was considered necessary due to the clay soil, which would have become unusable, risking the withdrawal of Mrs Woods's professional licence and the end of her business.
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The retrospective planning application seeks to regularise the existing gallops, which Mrs Woods argues are essential for the training operation at Green Hedges Farm.
The application states the development has been designed with consideration for its setting, access, and environmental impact, ensuring it aligns with planning policies and local rural enterprise needs.
The gallops are positioned within the farm boundary and are designed to support the training and exercise of horses in a safe and controlled environment.
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