Ellen DeGeneres denied planning permission for Cotswolds riding arena

West Oxfordshire District Council has rejected planning permission for a large horse riding arena at the £15 million Kitesbridge Farm in the Cotswolds, owned by Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.

The proposed 22-meter by 39-meter all-weather arena was intended to accommodate de Rossi's horses and provide a usable space given the flood-prone nature of the site near the River Windrush. While the couple had previously received approval for new stables, the council denied this specific application.

In its decision, the council stated the development would be an "intrusive and incongruous form of development within the open countryside" and would cause an "unacceptable encroachment into the open and undeveloped Upper Windrush Valley." Planners concluded the project would fail to protect the scenic beauty or intrinsic character of the Cotswolds National Landscape.