Plan to create sand school in St. Brelade

Saturday 02 September 2023

A planning application has been submitted to create a sand school in a field in St. Brelade which could in time provide equine therapy services.

Applicant Jackie Dixon is asking for permission to build the 30m x 70m sand school in a field, which forms part of Les Frontières Farm in Route du Francfief.

The field - B950 - is current used for grazing horses. Les Frontieres Farm already has a stable block and smaller sand school which were built for the personal use of the applicant and others. 

Part of the reason for building them was to enable to Ms Dixon to acquire the relevant equine teaching qualifications necessary to run a commercial equine business, and this goal has now been achieved.

A planning statement accompanying the application states: “It is likely that the new facility, in the short to medium term, will require approximately two to three full-time employees.”

These would be an experienced rider and trainer, a trainee and a ground keeper/gardener.

Pictured: The site of the proposed sand school near Rue du Coin in St. Brelade.

It adds: “In the long term, the centre hopes to offer an equine therapeutic provision and also management training utilising equestrian behaviour responses. 

“Should the business succeed in securing the facilities and growing the business in this niche and much-much needed area, the business would be likely to need a part-time behavioural therapist, a part-time management training facilitator, and a part-time administrator.”

The application proposes creating a new vehicular access on to Route du Coin, which is the road Le Place Hotel is on.