All For Horses, an animal welfare charity in North Yorkshire, has been ordered by the High Court to pay £41,176 in legal fees to the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA), amounting to nearly 30% of its annual income. The dispute arose after the charity was found to be operating without the necessary planning permission for keeping horses on its land, despite efforts to comply and appeals against enforcement notices. The court ruled that because the horses were fed in addition to grazing, the charity needed planning permission, leading to an injunction requiring the removal of the horses from the site.

The charity strongly contests the fairness of the costs order, citing its attempts to cooperate and the disproportionate response by the NYMNPA. Meanwhile, the NYMNPA defended its actions, stating that the injunction was a last resort after years of non-compliance and that the charity’s activities caused significant harm to the protected landscape and local residents. The authority emphasized that such court orders are rare and necessary to uphold regulations that apply to all land users within the national park.