Access to polo ground would cause ‘danger’ to walkers and wildlife

PLANS to build stables and a polo ground on farmland in Remenham Hill have been criticised by councillors and residents.

Sarkis Gabrelian, of Upper Culham Farm in Remenham Hill, submitted plans to keep 150 horses on his 175-acre site.

Plans in the application include a 775m exercise track, a 50m-long horse rehabilitation pool, a polo field, stick and ball and schooling fields and two horse walkers, which would be used for their exercise.

A pavilion would be built on the polo field which would house changing rooms, a toilet and shower facilities.

At a full council meeting of Wargrave Parish Council, members discussed revised plans to the application.

They include the removal of internal estate roads, a proposed 3m track to lead to the rehabilitation pool and the relocation of a “muck heap” to be installed adjacent to the parking area.

The proposed road has also been scaled back.

The facility is expected to employ more than
40 people, including farriers, grooms, vets, groundsmen and maintenance and administration staff.

Councillors had no objections to the initial application, however concerns were raised last month about the impact upon residential amenities.

Councillor Dick Bush said: “We objected to the new road which is much bigger than what they put out in the original application. It comes across in a different place and is much closer to the houses which could have an effect on residents there.

”Upper Culham Lane is narrow and that would affect all the people living up there up to the entrance.”

Speaking at the meeting, George Harper, of Upper Culham Lane, said the planning agent, David Spragg, did not engage with residents well enough.

He said: “When we met David, about two days beforehand, my wife and I discovered an Instagram page and off that page, detailing the facilities that were going to exist on this world-class polo facility which has been described. There were things such as hotels.

“[Housing] 150 ponies could make it one of the biggest [polo] grounds in the country.

“My wife and I trawled through applications from the South East and this is one of the biggest and that’s a significant warning sign to us. Where the residents are, we are all impacted by noise because we are the immediate seven properties around the farm.

“My wife and I raised concerns of excessive development.

“We’ve got a significant increase in traffic. They’re talking about having
30 members of staff making two trips a day, six members of staff being there pre 6am so that would be noisy.”

In a written objection to Wokingham Borough Council, Anne Fairs said: “I have lived at White Cottages for more than 30 years and enjoyed the peaceful rural location and dark skies.

“I have noticed that the revisions include an additional polo field even nearer to White Cottages, increasing the noise intrusion and to the detriment of our enjoyment of this unique location.” She added: “The change of access from the A4130 will not stop an increase in traffic along Culham Lane and the resulting increase in danger to walkers, cyclists, local horse riders, wildlife and pets along this narrow lane.”

Elizabeth Cope, of Upper Culham Lane, said the plans for “such substantial” change to the area were “unreasonable” for the area and its surrounding residents.

She wrote: “In the 40 years we have lived here, the arable and farm land has always been cared for to ensure the best output. We would and should expect any changes to the area to ‘enhance’ the whole area, not the opposite which this application does.

“It is questionable if this is for a private polo park, rather than the clear ambitions for facilities for 150 horses which will necessitate regular deliveries of horse feed, traffic, noise, pollution, muck, flies, all of which will impact residents, plus the mowing weekly if not more and the noise that all these have on the residents.”

The borough council will make a final decision in due course.