'Take action over makeshift stables'

FED-UP residents are calling on officials to take action against an unauthorised makeshift stable block on their doorsteps.

The stables were constructed in a field in Sproatley Road, Preston, five years ago without planning permission.

Since then, up to 15 horses have been counted grazing there, while the site has been used by groups of people believed from the rag-and-bone trade in Hull.

However, residents living near the field say their lives have been made a misery by noise from scrap metal working at the site, drink-fuelled fighting among some of the groups there and a series of fires.

In a recent incident, three horses were removed from the site by a vet after being deemed to be in distress.

A retrospective planning application to retain the stables was rejected by East Riding Council's planning committee last October.

However, as yet, no enforcement action has been taken by the council to remove the makeshift building, which residents say was built using old bits of timber, corrugated tin roofing and an old tarpaulin sheet.

This week, residents handed in a 65-name petition together with 27 individual letters calling on the council to take action over the site.

Spokesman Nigel Bunting said: "The council now says that planning consent may not have been required because the stables are not fixed to the ground and that it may 'not be easy' to enforce removal.

"Officers also appear to be ignoring the scrap metal issues and the discharging of untreated slurry and horse urine into an open land drainage ditch, which flows into an open unguarded ditch in the children's play area of the local pub.

"It's very frustrating that officers refuse to accept that hammering and banging noise generated by scrap metal working and horses banking and kicking at the stables' timber boards through the night has anything to do with the planning process."

Councillor Mike Bryan, who represents the area, said: "I agree 100 per cent with the residents that things have been allowed to go on for far too long at this site.

"Sadly, I believe this is due to the fear of reprisals if things are pushed too far.

"I have vigorously pursued the need for planning enforcement since I was elected.

"My file on this is 4in thick but, still, we seem to be no further forward.

"I believe that no one really wants to grasp the nettle to solve this problem once and for all."

Accepting the petition, the council's environment and transport scrutiny agreed to call for an updated report on the issue.

Committee member Councillor John Dennis said: "This is a scrapyard in all and the buck passing has to stop."