Nuneaton riding school gets 15-year lease following rent row

Trustees at a disabled riding school say they are "very happy" to have been granted a 15-year lease after winning a court battle with a council.

Nuneaton and North Warwickshire Riding Centre has been involved in a legal fight with the borough council after it decided not to renew its lease.

However, in March, the trust was recognised as "bona fide trustees" at Birmingham County Court.

The council previously said it would "initiate a dialogue" with trustees.

The equestrian centre has been based at the Galley Common site, which is owned by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, since the 1970s. The lease ran out in December 2012 but the council decided not to renew it.

The centre said the council claimed the school was being run as a business, rather than a charity.

However, a judge ruled the riding school had a two-month period from 15 April to negotiate a new lease.

Riding centre trustee Jean Miller said: "This is a massive piece of security for the charity and the disabled riders that use the centre.

"We are very, very happy with the ruling and the new lease.

"We haven't changed in 30 years. We couldn't understand why the council were suddenly throwing these red herrings in. It was ridiculous really.

"There were some very upset disabled people who were using the service who didn't know what the future was going to be."

Kris Wilson, leader of the Conservative opposition, said: "I am pleased the school has won."

He added the council needed to "account for the waste of public expenditure" it had spent in pursuing the case.

The Labour-run council previously said speaking to the trustees was the "correct thing to do" following the judge's ruling.