A DEVELOPMENT dubbed a “horse travelodge” by angry campaigners has this evening been granted planning permission.

At a town hall meeting tonight the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) received permission to build 19 new horse stables and two 12ft high viewing galleries for spectators on protected Metropolitan open land in Leyton.

The New Lammas Lands Defence Committee (NLLDC) believes the 900 square metre development, to the north of the Lee Valley Riding Centre site, off Lea Bridge Road, in Leyton, will lead to a loss of valuable recreational space and will lead to more pressure to fence off more land in the future.

NLLDC members are also angry that some of the stables will be used for livery, meaning private horse owners will pay to stable their animals there, and will therefore have little benefit to the riding school or local community.

Katy Andrews NLLDC vice chairwoman, said the Metropolitan Open Land has been consistently fenced off and encroached upon by the LVRPA since it was formed in the 1960s.

She said: “Basically what we have here is a hotel for horses.

“It has nothing to do with local people, nothing to do with the riding school and is about making money for private people.”

She also said the LVRPA has consistently refused to engage in dialogue with the campaigners.

David Anstey, LVRPA director of regeneration, said the centre provides a range of activities for disabled people and for school children and that it had 21,000 visitors last year.

He said the centre is close to capacity and the new development will enable more activites to take place.

The LVRPA has never received planning permission for livery use on the riding centre site, but as it has been used for that purpose for more than 10 years, the council cannot take enforcement action.

Conservative councillor Alan Siggers asked for the decision to be deferred to allow LVRPA to apply for a certificate of lawfulness for the livery use, but this was rejected by the committee.

Instead, a condition was imposed stating that only seven of the 19 stables will be used for livery.

The development was granted permission with only Cllr Siggers and his Conservative colleague Ed Northover voting against.