Bristol Disabled Riding Charity Faces Future Threat Over Footpath Dispute 2026

Key Points

• Threat of Imminent Access Rights Dispute: Avon Centre is a charitable organization operating from Bristol providing services related to equestrian sports and therapy for people.
• Physical Safety Issues Highlighted: The directors of the centre have expressed fears that unrestricted use of paths by general public and dogs pose grave physical danger to the riders and horses as well as employees at the centre.
• Impact on Vulnerable Clients: The center’s clients including physically disabled and SEN (Special Educational Needs) children might face the loss of a very necessary haven which they use for therapy.
• Council’s Legal Proceedings: The Bristol City Council stated that the application will be taken before the Planning Inspectorate in case objections submitted by the charitable organization remain unresolved.
• Operations Since 1980: The charitable organization established in 1980 owns and operates most of the 95 acres grounds situated opposite to Blaise Castle.

Bristol (Bristol Express News) November 5, 2026 — A long-established disability charity operating near Blaise Castle in Bristol has voiced urgent fears for its long-term operational viability following an application to establish 33 public rights of way across its private woodland estate. Executive leadership warns that granting unrestricted public access will create unprecedented safety hazards for vulnerable service users, horses, and volunteers.

Why Is The Avon Centre Facing Operational Uncertainty?

As reported by Alastair McKee of BBC News, The Avon Centre—a specialised equine charity based in Bristol—has entered a contentious legal dispute regarding the public accessibility of its private grounds. The charity, which has delivered therapeutic horse riding and outdoor activities for disabled and vulnerable children and adults for over 40 years, fears that its core operational environment could be irrevocably compromised.

As reported by Alastair McKee of BBC News, Kim Langbridge, therapeutic activities programme manager at the organisation, stated:

“It’s an enormous threat to what we do.”

The dispute emerged in August, when management discovered that an application had been formally submitted to Bristol City Council requesting that 33 individual pathways across its 95-acre estate be designated as permanent public rights of way. The charity owns the vast majority of the woodland site, situated directly opposite the landmark Blaise Castle estate.

If the local authority approves the application, members of the general public—along with companion animals—would gain legally protected, unrestricted access to the woodland tracks currently utilised for controlled, quiet equine therapy sessions.

Who Applied For The Public Rights Of Way?

According to coverage by Alastair McKee of BBC News, the exact identity of the applicant remains unknown to charity officials. It is understood, however, that the submission relies upon claims that members of the public have accessed and traversed these private woodland paths unchallenged for a continuous period of at least 20 years—a key legal threshold required to establish a public right of way under English land law.

Addressing the historical context of local access across the site, Kim Langbridge stated:

“We certainly have had local people use the paths and never once expected them to want to formalise this situation.”

The charity has submitted formal legal objections to the application with Bristol City Council. Langbridge noted that this statutory challenge is expected to take between six to nine months to navigate.

As reported by Alastair McKee of BBC News, Kim Langbridge stated:

“We will carry on doing what we do to the benefit of our riders and service users, while we wait to hear from the council.”

How Does The Access Row Affect Disabled Service Users?

For the hundreds of children and adults who rely on the facility, the prospect of unrestricted public access presents a direct threat to their emotional and physical well-being.

As reported by Alastair McKee of BBC News, family member Carrie Kingston highlighted the crucial role the secure environment plays for her grandson, Joby, who lives with complex special educational needs affecting his verbal communication and emotional regulation skills.

Describing his experience at the centre, Carrie Kingston stated:

“Going out in the woods is a natural environment, his stress levels go down and today, for instance, he was singing spontaneously. I’ve never heard him sing spontaneously, unless he was riding a horse in the woods.”

Similarly, para-dressage rider Tegan Vincent-Cooke, who lives with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, described the venue as her “second home” during her formative years. She stressed that the unique nature of the enclosed, controlled facility is vital for ensuring physical safety during equine activities.

As reported by Alastair McKee of BBC News, Tegan Vincent-Cooke stated:

“There’s not many opportunities like this for the disabled community, where they can ride their horses, they can go for a walk, and there’s no danger. I think that if it were to change, it could be dangerous for the horses, but also the individual that come here and see it as their second home.”

Equine specialists note that unmanaged interactions—such as off-lead dogs running through therapeutic hacking lines or unexpected crowds—can easily startle large animals, presenting acute injury risks to disabled riders who may lack the physical ability or reflexes to control an agitated horse.

What Is The Official Position Of Bristol City Council?

Responding to the dispute, municipal authorities confirmed the statutory pathway that the conflict must follow.

As reported by Alastair McKee of BBC News, a representative for Bristol City Council stated that if formal objections raised by The Avon Centre are not withdrawn during the preliminary review phase, the contested application will automatically be passed to the national Planning Inspectorate for a final independent decision.

The Inspectorate will evaluate historical usage evidence against land ownership rights and public convenience standards before issuing a binding ruling.

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Background Of The Avon Centre Development

Founded in 1980, The Avon Centre—formerly known as the Avon Riding Centre for the Disabled—was established to provide specialised equine-assisted therapy, physical rehabilitation, and outdoor education to people living with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, learning difficulties, and mental health challenges.

Operating across a 95-acre parcel of countryside in Henbury, Bristol, the charity maintains extensive indoor and outdoor arenas along with private wooded hacking tracks. The surrounding woods offer an essential environment where riders can experience nature in a secure setting free from urban hazards, traffic, and unexpected domestic animals.

Under the Highways Act 1980 (Section 31), a public right of way can be claimed if the public has used a defined path continuously for 20 years “as of right” and without interruption, permission, or force. Landowners frequently face challenges under this legislation if permissive access granted historically is later argued to constitute continuous public use. The current dispute underscores a growing tension across the United Kingdom between historical permissive land access by local communities and the strictly controlled, risk-managed operational requirements of therapeutic and agricultural institutions.

Impact On Vulnerable Communities and Regional Provision

If the Planning Inspectorate rules in favour of the applicant and establishes 33 public rights of way across the site, the operational model of The Avon Centre will face significant disruption:

1. Heightened Safety and Liability Risks: Unrestricted public access, particularly involving off-lead dogs or cyclists, creates an unpredictable environment. The sudden spooking of a horse carrying a rider with severe physical disabilities introduces severe safety risks. This increased risk exposure could lead to prohibitive public liability insurance premiums or force the charity to suspend woodland hacking sessions altogether.
2. Loss of Therapeutic Quality: The core benefit of equine therapy at the centre relies on a controlled sensory environment. Increased human traffic, noise, and unexpected encounters would degrade the calming atmosphere necessary for children with conditions such as autism or severe anxiety, diminishing the therapeutic outcomes for service users.
3. Severe Financial and Operational Strain: Defending or adapting to formal rights of way requires significant financial resources. If forced to alter its land usage, erect security fencing, or re-route equine activities, the charity will face substantial capital costs at a time when non-profit organisations are already managing constrained operational budgets.
4. Reduction in Regional Care Capacity: Should the safety risks force a curtailment of services, the regional provision of specialised disabled sport and sensory therapy in Bristol and the South West will suffer a critical reduction. Hundreds of families relying on weekly therapeutic sessions would lose access to a rare, highly specialized service with few equivalent alternatives in the region.