Plans for all-weather polo arena near Chester get the go-ahead

An all-weather polo arena is set to be built in Cheshire after plans were given the green light ahead.

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planners have approved an application for the arena at Swinford Stables on Nortons Lane, Chester.

The site is home to J F Polo Academy, which provides polo lessons and experience days. The plans will see the replacement of a grass field with an all- weather riding area, as well as 17 parking spaces.

Operating since 2011, the academy in Great Barrow has ties with Cheshire Polo Club, being the official club training school. Current facilities include stables, horse storage building and grass playing surface. The new arena – known as a ‘menage’ – would measure 90m x 45m and have a timber boundary fence around 2.4m in height.

A planning document submitted in support of the application, said: “There are currently no all-weather facilities on site, and as a result the applicant’s business is seasonal in nature and is vulnerable during periods of wet weather during summer months.”

It said that alternative playing surfaces have had to be rented from other local facilities in the past. It added: “The summer of 2023 has been particularly volatile and challenging for the applicant with July being the wettest on record in the Northwest.

“As a result, the business lost almost half of its expected income for the season as the grass playing surface was rendered unusable by the wet conditions.”

Once constructed, the facility will enable the academy to operate year-round and provide an alternative playing and teaching surface during periods of wet weather.

The applicant has also recently applied to register a new charity called J F Riding Academy.  The application said that as part of the charity’s work, it would be looking to deliver lessons to people with disabilities, learning difficulties and those on low incomes, opening polo up to those who ‘might not otherwise have the opportunity to partake’.

The application said the seasonal nature of the business also gives rise to operational challenges in respect of staffing and
the retention of staff from season to season.

It added: “The introduction of the arena would enable the site to operate year-round, creating new permanent employment opportunities.”

By Mark – Local Democracy Reporter