Stoneleigh Park, the home of the English Royal Show, is not for sale, the Royal Agricultural Society England (RASE) has confirmed this week.

Major changes planned for the annual show could be set to bring the society into conflict with at least one other agricultural organisation.

John Moverley, RASE chief executive, said the society was prepared to go ahead with plans to develop the site into a ‘national centre of rural excellence’ following resolution of legal difficulties which threatened to prevent any development on the site.

These arose from a clause in the original ownership agreement between the RASE and Stoneleigh Trust which sold the site in 1988. This had led the RASE to consider marketing the site.

He admitted that the original plans for the development of a centre of rural excellence may have been pitched too high and too quickly. “We are very intent now on bringing into being the concept of a centre of rural excellence with the activities that go with it,” he said.

These included the development of a national equine centre and the creation of a major rural innovation hub. Talks with potential sponsors were in progress and plans for improved road access were in hand.

At the same time, the society was intent on a range of radical changes to the annual show, starting next year. These included changing the running order for the four-day event from a Sunday to a Thursday opening, with the first two days having a stronger farming/political focus and the weekend being more consumer oriented.

RASE had been consulting with exhibitors and visitors, which had led to the date change. While this cleared it for other events like the Norfolk show and the Hickstead horse show, it put it in closer conflict with the Great Yorkshire Show, due to open only one day after the Royal ended.

This brought immediate recriminations from the Yorkshire, who complained this would inevitably mean that many exhibitors would not be able to attend both events.

“We are disappointed to be told by the organisers of the Royal Show that in order to boost their public visitor numbers they wish to have an extra day and are thus moving their dates forward,” said Bill Cowling, director of the Yorkshire event.

“The Royal describes itself as ‘the most prestigious agricultural event of the year’ but it seems that they are willing to sacrifice agricultural content for the potential financial gain of greater public attendance with the extra weekend day.” He said the Yorkshire organisers saw the Royal’s decision as ‘divisive and damage to the industry’.

This was denied by Moverley who said they were intent on further discussions with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society to build a better understanding.