Riding a winner

The construction of new equestrian training facilities at Milland, near Liphook, has been given the go-ahead by the South Downs National Park Authority. The site will be able to host national and international eventing, dressage and showjumping. The development, adjacent to Liphook Equine Hospital, will include an indoor arena, storage barns, stables, paddocks, a dressage area and an all-weather multipurpose arena.

Motion’s team of professional consultants provided flood risk and transport advice to support the planning application. Associate Director Neil Jaques says, “Natural England was concerned that discharge from the site might contaminate water bodies. To address this issue, we incorporated a wetland management zone with a reed bed to filter runoff, as part of the sustainable drainage strategy.”

Lack of public transport
The transport strategy for the facility had to take into account the limited public transport links. Parking provision for up to 100 vehicles with horse boxes was required. An additional overflow car park with 150 spaces will cater for vehicles during equestrian events and competitions. The site is located within a national park and is therefore subject to special planning conditions. Motion proposed using reinforced grass paving to minimise the visual impact of the parking areas.

Chris Saunders, Associate Director at Motion comments, “In order to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety within the site, we recommended a one-way arrangement between the entrance and exit. The site is accessed by a private road that is shared with a golf course, hotel and spa. We produced a detailed traffic management plan demonstrating that with the help of marshals, there would be no implications for other users of the road during events.”

This article first appeared in the Winter 2016 issue of Insight.