A HORSE trainer is considering appealing against a council's decision to refuse permission for her horse schooling area.

Ros Seagrave, of Gill Beck Stables, in Ramshaw, Teesdale, says she is angry at Teesdale District Council's handling of her application.

The authority's planning committee unanimously refused retrospective permission on Wednesday for the outdoor schooling area and also plans for additional stables and the temporary siting of a mobile home.

The council's main objection was whether the site was large enough to justify having residential accommodation at the stables.

Ms Seagrave and her agent, Paul Lynne, were angry that they only found out at Wednesday's meeting that there had been objections from the Environment Agency about flood risks.

Ms Seagrave said she was devastated by the council's decision.

She said: "For one thing, had I been informed in time about the flood risks, I would have withdrawn the application so that could have been looked at.

"I find it hard to understand how they can make a decision on anything without seeing the site. Everybody in the village has been right behind this, it's just the council."

Ms Seagrave is deciding whether to appeal or resubmit the application without the caravan.

She says she needs a presence on the site 24 hours a day to look after the horses if her business is to be viable.

At the meeting, Trevor Watson, the acting head of building and planing control, said the Environment Agency's response had not been received until shortly before the meeting and many councillors had only seen the objections for the first time that evening.

He added: "Much of the development on the site is unauthorised.

"It would be a very dangerous precedent to set to justify a residential property on this site."

The council has said it would be taking appropriate enforcement action.