Tackling variation in riding schools’ licensing fees is key to their future, it is agreed – after one local authority claimed centres could turn over £7,200 per day.
A Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) scrutiny committee discussed licensing fees at a meeting on 25 November. The issue was raised again at a full PCC meeting on 12 December.
At the first meeting, councillors considered a report on how fees are set. PCC charges £583 per year for centres with up to 10 horses, £766.50 for those with 11 to 30 and £1,112 for centres with more than 30. Each centre must also pay “about £300” for a vet check.
“Licensed businesses typically charge around £80 per rider for a two-hour session,” the report stated. “A larger riding establishment taking out three groups of 30 riders, for three sessions each day at the weekend, may turn over £7,200 per day.”
A question was read to the meeting by Cllr Huw Murphy, who owns Dyfed Shires and who said the £7,200 was “wholly inaccurate”. This figure was withdrawn by the council.
But Cllr Murphy also asked why PCC’s charges are higher than its neighbours, adding: “I can’t make clear how upset some Pembrokeshire riding establishment owners are at the figures being presented by PCC in defence of higher fees than other local authorities.”
PCC officer Gaynor Toft contested figures Cllr Murphy provided, stating that for up to 10 horses, Ceredigion council charges £570 and Carmarthenshire £600.
Figures challenged
The meeting heard these figures were provided by PCC’s head of animal welfare. But Carmarthenshire charges £408 for up to 10 horses, including the vet for which PCC charges £300 or more. Ceredigion charges £370 initially for six to 15 horses and £354 for renewal. Bridgend charges £352 including the vet, for all centres. These figures are available on the councils’ websites or by calling the relevant department.
Anita Buxton, who has a 16-horse trekking centre in Pembrokeshire, can only run from October to March but paid £1,127.26 for her most recent licence; £766.50 plus £360.76 for the vet. Had her centre been two miles away, in Carmarthenshire, she would have paid £423 in total.
“I’m trying to be competitive with other centres in Wales; we’re all chasing the same customers and we’re being hammered,” she said, adding that since the centre opened some nine years ago, her fees have more than doubled, while business has declined.
“They’ve done no research, haven’t consulted anybody, not in Pembrokeshire or anywhere.
“We get squeezed all the time; our insurance is more than double what it used to be. We make our own hay, we don’t employ any staff because we can’t afford any. We’re fortunate not to have to pay rent or mortgage – and we still struggle to earn money above keeping the horses.
“We get kids beaming because they’ve been up the hill, and had a canter and seen the views, and that’s why we keep going. But it will get to the point where the costs are so extortionate, what’s the point?”
Cost recovery
The council said at the first meeting it makes no profit on licensing and fees are set on a “cost recovery basis”. Councillors were also told the last consultation in this area was in 2016.
Cllr Murphy raised the £7,200 figure again on 12 December and was told it had been withdrawn, and “played no part in influencing members’ unanimous resolution to note the report with no other recommendations or referrals”.
In a follow-up question, he asked for the licence fee structure to be reviewed, “speaking with knowledge, rather than making guestimates on the subject before we set these fees”.
Cabinet member Jacob Williams said the matter will be considered again in January.
“I accept that your view is that the fees are too high but that wasn’t shared by the committee members,” he said. “But you will get a second bite of the cherry in the January meeting.”
Our lifeblood
British Horse Society (BHS) chief operating officer Sarah Phillips told H&H riding centres are the “lifeblood of equestrian participation”. Previous BHS research showed more than 300 riding schools had closed in Britain since 2018.
“We simply don’t want to lose any more than we already have,” Ms Phillips said.
“We also know that licensing fees are at the discretion of the local authority, as well as the processes they have. Frustratingly, this continues to lead to some rather significant variations from one county to the next. We regularly see the impact this is having on our centres and would like to see more uniformity across Wales and England.
“In collaboration with other equestrian organisations, we continue to work with local authorities and the Government to evaluate any discrepancies and nurture the best processes possible. These ongoing conversations are critical if we want to guarantee the stability for equestrian businesses and, critically, horse welfare.”
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