York Racecourse Stableside hotel granted council lawful use

York Council planning officers have approved an application for Stableside, off Tadcaster Road, Dringhouses, to be legally used as a hotel and accommodation for racing staff.

Council officers stated the property had been used by racing staff and let out to schools, church groups and others continuously since 2008.

The decision to approve York Racecourse’s bid for a certificate of lawful use follows their submission of the application in February.

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The building which houses the hotel was built in 1992 on the site of dormitories for jockeys constructed in the 1960s.

Stableside features 26 rooms, a kitchen, dining room and offices on a 2.3 hectare site.

A horse box park and quadrangle of four stable blocks is also on the site.

The accommodation itself is in an L-shaped building next to a grassed communal area.

Planning permission for the current building was granted in 1991 for accommodation for stable boys and girls.

York Racecourse’s Stableside hotel, off Tadcaster Road Dringhouses (Image: Google)

The site now provides accommodation for travelling racing stable staff which is required by the British Horse Racing Association.

Stableside is offered to the general public as a budget hotel for bookings outside of the racing season.

It is also available for functions and conferences and features onsite food and drinks facilities.

A council report on the plans stated the site had been functioning as a hotel for the last 17 years.

The report stated: “The evidence submitted creates a convincing profile of the application property being let out to racing staff, school groups, church groups and other third parties for a continuous period.

“It has been confirmed by the Racecourse team that the stable staff must fill out a form which indicates the length of stay, contact details and seniority of staff.

“The form requests information on the horses staying at the adjacent stables and the date of the race day which the stable staff and the horses are competing in.”