A YOUNG disabled girl is one step closer to achieving her dream of representing Team GB at the Paralympics after plans for an equestrian training facility were approved.

The Reilly family had applied to Cheshire West and Chester Council to create an indoor arena, stable yard with horse walker and lunge pen for their daughter Katie at their home off Holmes Chapel Road, near Allostock.

Katie was born with cerebral palsy and suffers with right-side hemiplegia and spatial awareness, which makes her susceptible to the weather and changes in temperature.

As a grade III Para dressage rider, the 13-year-old – one of the youngest riders in the UK to be granted her national classification in 2019 – is now working hard towards competing the Paralympics in Paris in 2024.

Given her disability and the toll travelling to and from training can have on Katie, her family felt it was vital there were facilities available on her doorstep.

In a design and access statement, prepared for the family by agents James Bell Architecture, it says: “Katie is working toward competing for GB at the Paralympics 2024 in Paris.

“Her exceptional talent has been noticed by a lot of the high performance trainers and coaches.

“Para horses need a lot of desensitising to allow a disabled user to ride them.

“The use of horse walkers and lunging pens will also help exercise horses without Katie having to use up valuable energy levels.

“It is hugely important Katie has everything she needs on her doorstep as travelling for training takes a significant toll on her fatigue levels and mental welfare.

“Katie’s equine trainers and coach, physiotherapist, occupational therapist and nutritionist all need to see her weekly and it is intended the development proposals will provide a unique facility at her home to cater for all of the above without the need to travel.

“The development will offer a fully disabled accessible and wheelchair friendly facility. Every part of the design will keep in mind Katie's current, but also her ongoing, disability needs.

"This building will massively help to make her dreams come true and reach her full potential."

The proposals, which were granted permission on June 3, include an indoor riding menage with stabling and welfare facilities, implement storage, outdoor lunge pen and walker and associated planting.

The facilities would be for private use only.

Following approval of the plans, the Reilly family expressed their gratitude towards the planning officer, Jo Redmond, and the council for their support in their daughter’s future potential as a para athlete.

In recommending the application for approval, planning officer Jo Redmond said: “It is considered the proposed development would not result in a detrimental impact on the openness of the countryside.

“The proposed development would not have an unacceptable detrimental impact upon the character and appearance of the area, highway safety or cause undue harm to neighbouring amenity."

“It is not thought to have an unacceptable impact upon the ecology and environment of the local area.”