Geri Halliwell-Horner, former Spice Girl, and her husband Christian Horner, Red Bull F1 team principal, are embroiled in a fresh dispute with neighbours over plans to install a horse walker on their Oxfordshire estate. The couple, who own a horse racing business named OMBI, intend to use the walker to exercise eight of their fourteen horses on land adjacent to their countryside home.
The proposed horse walker would be a large, steel-framed structure clad in black composite panels, measuring approximately 22 meters in diameter and reaching a peak height of 7 meters. It is designed to provide daily off-tether exercise for their horses, in accordance with DEFRA’s welfare standards.
However, the proposal has met strong opposition from neighbours who have submitted multiple objections to West Northamptonshire District Council. Their concerns include the walker’s prominent location atop a ridge, the expansion of the property’s curtilage, inadequate screening, potential light pollution, and the fact that existing hard-standing used for storage was created without planning permission. Neighbours argue that the walker would be highly visible from surrounding properties and public roads, disrupting the rural and conservation area’s character.
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One neighbour suggested relocating the walker closer to existing equestrian buildings where it could be better screened, noting that the current design resembles two double-decker buses parked end-to-end and stands significantly taller than typical nearby structures. They also recommended omitting the roof to reduce visual impact, as most horse walkers are uncovered.
Concerns were raised about light spill from the open-sided upper structure, which could create a wide band of light after dark, undermining the area’s tranquility. Neighbours criticised the recently planted hawthorn hedge intended for screening as insufficient and called for denser, taller evergreen hedges similar to those used elsewhere on the property.
Another objection highlighted that the 7-meter-high roof would remain visible above the hedge, impacting the skyline and views from various points within the parish. They requested alternative, lower-profile designs and expressed unease about further lighting extending into currently unlit zones behind the barn.
Representing the Horner family, a planning agent stated the walker’s form and lightweight materials would allow it to be discreet once hedging matures, and that it supports horse welfare by ensuring appropriate exercise regardless of weather. The agent emphasized that the structure is closely connected to the existing stud barn and would have minimal visual impact.
Heritage officers raised no objections, noting the walker’s position approximately 100 meters from Grade II listed buildings and its backdrop framed by modern and historic agricultural structures. They concluded the impact on the conservation area and listed buildings’ setting would be neutral.
This application follows previous approved developments at the Horner estate, including new stables, a barn, and a pool. A decision on the horse walker proposal is pending.