A £176,000 lottery grant to boost facilities at a riding therapy centre for the disabled could be lost if the scheme fails to get planning permission.

Tonight's meeting of Hyndburn Council development services committee will be recommended to refuse proposals for a study centre for special needs students at Lords House Farm, Wilpshire Road, Rishton, because the centre is in a green belt area.

The plan involves rebuilding a recently demolished barn to create a classroom for up to 20 students, a kitchen and canteen area for trainees, and first floor residential accommodation.

Students with learning disabilities would be able to study horse and animal care, and there would be other animal and educational courses for special schools and adults with learning difficulties.

A report to councillors says that in the green belt planning permission should not be given for new buildings, other than for purposes of agriculture, forestry, essential facilities for outdoor sport and recreation, and cemeteries.

Conversion of buildings is allowed, in this case it would be a complete rebuild and could not be considered a conversion. The report adds that while riding and animal therapy for the disabled is very valuable, the expansion of activities to include residential courses would be inappropriate in the green belt and could set a precedent harming the council's ability to resist other proposals.

In a letter to councillors centre administrator Mary Walker says the lottery grant for the site's development is entirely dependent on planning approval.

She is pressing for an exception to green belt policy arguing that the benefits to the community far outweigh the benefits of enforcing planning policy.

Authorised use is for riding for the disabled and officers are also concerned about a number of physical developments carried out without planning permission.

Two floodlights have gone up on the outdoor arena, and work has started on an animal stables which when finished would be block and render walls, with a translucent uPVC roof.

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