EPAG 5/9/08

Paper 2

The University of Edinburgh

Estates Advisory Group [EPAG]

5 September 2008

Elisabeth Svendsen Trust (EST) - Proposed Facility at Easter Bush

Brief description of the paper

A proposal to allow the building of a new Elisabeth Svendsen Trust (EST) facility on University land at Easter Bush.

EST is a charity dedicated to providing riding therapy with donkeys to children with special needs and disabilities.

It is proposed that an Easter Bush centre would have advantages for the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and for the University generally.

Action requested

EPAG to endorse that EST should be granted permission to establish a centre at Easter Bushand that the annual rent should be substantially discounted to reflect other benefits to the University.

EPAG to endorse in principle that work can proceed with the Trust to establish the feasibility of providing the facility on the site, develop detailed plans for final approval and to advise on the level of rent to apply.

Resource implications

Does the paper have resource implications? Yes

If ‘Yes’, in which section(s) of the paper are they described? Final paragraph

Risk Assessment

Does the paper include a risk analysis? No

Equality and Diversity

Does the paper have equality and diversity implications? No

Freedom of information

Can this paper be included in open business? Yes

Originator of the paper

Ronnie Soutar, Director of Vet. Services, R(D)SVS, on behalf of Head of School

20 August 2008

ELISABETH SVENDSEN TRUST (EST)

ROYAL (Dick) SCHOOL OF VETERINARY STUDIES

The Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys (EST) is a charity dedicated to providing riding therapy with donkeys to children with special needs and disabilities. Its founder and Honorary Administrator is Dr Elisabeth D Svendsen MBE. EST has an annual income from charitable donations of around £4 million.

EST currently operates five centres in England, with a sixth at the planning stage in Northern Ireland. Every week up to 150 children with a wide range of disabilities attend each centre, brought daily from their school or hospital. Riding skills are taught by qualified riding instructors and the children are encouraged to groom and care for the donkeys. Further details can be found at .

A proposal for a seventh centre, in Scotland, has identified a site on University land at Easter Bush as a prime location.

In initial discussion with R(D)SVS, various benefits of establishing an EST centre with close ties to the vet school have been identified, including access for veterinary undergraduates to donkeys (an under-represented species in other Schools) at all curricular stages from husbandry to clinical contact for veterinary undergraduates with disabled children and their carers, seen as useful in personal and professional developmentresponsibility for the School’s small herd of “teaching horses” passing to EST staff (saving one groom’s salary plus feed/bedding costs and increasing horse welfare)Category B income through providing clinical care to the donkeys non-invasive research opportunities across a range of medical, veterinary and other disciplinespositive PR opportunities for the University, at establishment and on-going

The centre would house 12-15 donkeys and requires around 12 acres of land. EST would provide all infrastructure, with buildings to their established plan (no planning permission problems have been met with previous centres). In return, they would require lease of at least 50 years.

The Farms Manager has been consulted and confirms that the land is available, despite pressure on available farmland.

The current local commercial rent for donkey/pony ground is around £200/acre, while Trading Income &/or Fixed Costs for the School’s farm estate is budgeted at £610/acre in 2008/09. This suggests a commercial rent for the 12 acres of around £10,000 per year. However, EST have indicated that other centres pay a “peppercorn rent”.

Discussion is required with the Local Authority to confirm that the development is feasible, particularly in relation to site access/egress and also that it is compatible with the Masterplan for the Easter Bush area.

The proposal to EPAG is that:-

EST should be granted permission to establish a centre at Easter Bushthe annual rent should be substantially discounted to reflect other benefits to the University.

EPAG is asked for its endorsement in principle and that we proceed to work with the Trust to establish the feasibility of providing the facility on the site, develop detailed plans for final approval and to advise on the level of rent to apply.

RonnieSoutar,DirectorofVet.Services,R(D)SVS, onbehalfofHeadofSchool

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