Stephanie Dale, a 40-year-old animal trainer known as the “Horse Whisperer,” is facing a substantial legal bill totalling £3,600 following a prolonged nine-year dispute with Cheshire East Council over the unauthorised construction of stables on greenbelt land in Astbury, Congleton.

Dale, who has worked with horses since she was 20, initially received permission to build a single stable block on the property. However, she proceeded to erect a second block without the necessary planning consent. The legal matters began in December 2016, when the council issued two enforcement notices requiring her to dismantle the additional stables, as well as to remove a concrete base, a caravan, and associated utilities from the land.

During the proceedings at Crewe Magistrates Court, prosecutor Khalid Mahmood detailed the timeline of the case. He noted that Dale had made an appeal against the enforcement notices, which was ultimately dismissed. “Notices were served in December 2016 and an appeal was lodged by Stephanie Dale,” Mahmood explained. “The appeal was dismissed and the enforcement notice upheld.” By 2018, Dale had incurred a fine of £1,000 for her failure to comply with the orders. Although she did remove the caravan as requested, the stables remained untouched.

Following further investigations conducted last year, Dale was again charged for breaching an updated enforcement order. Despite being provided with a sick note citing anxiety and depression, along with documentation of a hospital orthopaedic appointment at the time of the trial, the magistrates decided to proceed with the case in her absence. She is now required to pay an additional £1,100 fine, alongside the legal costs of £2,528.22.

The court also acknowledged that Dale is a joint owner of the land alongside a man referred to as ‘Mr Foster’; however, it was determined that she was the “driving force” behind the development. Senior planning officer Zafer Faqir addressed the nature of the violation by stating, “Planning permission was granted for keeping horses and stables would be part and parcel of that, keeping them away from the elements. But it was the additional stables that was problematic because of the impact of the unauthorized stables on the green belt itself.”

The land in question is designated as greenbelt, where the types of allowed developments are significantly limited. As a result, Dale was instructed to demolish the unauthorised stable block entirely and to remove the concrete base as well as all building materials from the property.

As of now, Dale has yet to demolish the stables, and she has been approached for comment but was unavailable when contacted at her home.

Source: Noah Wire Services