A WARNFORD landowner hoping to relocate a stable has been told to wait by planning experts.

Mrs Cooper is seeking the city council's permission to move and alter the structure at her Hayden Lane meadow.

But at a planning committee on June 18 she was told she will have to wait for a site visit – a motion voted by the members.

The meeting heard from objector Jackie Ware, who lives next door and looks after injured birds.

She said: "We have an aviary less than five metres from where the stables are planned to be moved to. It's unfair on the birds if we would have to relocate.

"It cost several thousands of pounds and we can't just pick up and move. There are two tawny owls living there at the moment, and the aviary is built surrounding a tree to give the birds a more natural habitat.

"There is nowhere else on our land where this can go – but there is plenty of space in the applicant's woodland, an area with water and electricity, that could be used for the stables."

Committee members were also told how Mrs Cooper had already carried out some of the work, meaning parts of the application are seeking retrospective permission.

This includes raising the land where the stable would be moved to and constructing a road to and from it.

"The noises from the car, cleaning the stables and the horses themselves will be detrimental to our birds," added Ms Ware.

Mrs Cooper's agent Dan Roycroft said that his client only started work on the relocation because she didn't realise she needed planning permission.

He added: "My client is happy to change the colour of the stable to fit in with the area.

"I would just like to say that we are not here to weigh up alternative sites, but to decide on the application that has already been put forward.

"However, I will say that the alternative site is not suitable – there is a lack of natural daylight."

As the chairman, Mark Rogers told Mr Roycroft that Warnford Parish Meeting object to the plans.

He said: "The stable building is still unsightly, and not in keeping with the landscape character and what is appropriate in the South Downs National Park.

"It appears unnecessarily large, given the size of the paddock it is in and it seems that no consideration has been given for any horse tack, saddles, and fodder with a concern raised that this would be a later application.

"It is also as far away as it can be from the entrance, thus destroying the maximum amount of grass, and of course being near the neighbours."

The committee will visit the site and the application will be reviewed at a future meeting.