Knowsley Council issues statement over Gellings Riding School

Gellings Riding School, in Knowsley Village, described as an "important community asset", faces closure after a London-based property company revealed plans to sell off the land.

However, campaigners, families and local politicians came together to kick-start a survival campaign and advocate for the preservation of the riding school to guarantee its future.

The much-loved community asset provides riding classes, animal therapy and access to various family leisure activities. But now those who use the facility are in a race against time to save it from closure.

Members of the community were joined by Labour MP Ian Byrne, Cllr Mike Kearns and Cllr Mark Burke to support the campaign.

During the meeting, some people broke down in tears over the prospect of the school’s closure and others spoke of how important the centre is to them.

Gellings Riding Centre (Image: LDR)

Knowsley Council has issued a statement to say the authority is supporting the riding school in an application for government funding to acquire the site.

The statement read: "Knowsley Council is aware of community concerns about a proposal by a private landowner in the Borough to sell a parcel of land, known locally as 'Hugo Fields'. 

"The site comprises 28.3 hectares of open green space and the Gellings Riding School (which covers 2.8 hectares), and is in the borough’s Prescot North Ward.

"Gellings Riding School has commenced a campaign aimed at preventing the sale of the land so that the area can be retained for both the wider community and also equestrian use.

"Knowsley Council does not own the land in question and was not aware of the landowner’s intention to sell the land. 

"The council has not had any engagement with the landowner over these proposals."

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It added: "The majority of the land is within the green belt (as set out in Knowsley’s Local Plan) and the council has no plans to review the Local Plan or remove this area of land from the green belt.

"The council recognises that the Gellings Riding School is an important community asset which is at risk of being lost and is supporting the Riding School’s application for funding from the Government’s Community Empowerment Fund which would enable the Riding School to acquire the site and continue to run the facility for the benefit of the local community."