STOP THE HATCHFIELD FARM DEVELOPMENT

On 2nd June Forest Heath District councillors voted unanimously to refuse the planning application submitted by Lord Derby to build 1200 homes and a huge commercial development the size of 13 Tesco superstores on Hatchfield Farm. Click here for the full statement
The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, wrote to Council Leaders last week to inform them of the abolition of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). The RSS created housing targets for Forest Heath District Council to meet and this is why the need for Hatchfield Farm was created. The new Government has taken away this pressure and the development is not necessary or needed and it is not in line with the Government's housing strategy. There is plenty of housing in Newmarket and in nearby Red Lodge to fulfill demand. Click here for Eric Pickles' letter.
Click here for key objections to Hatchfield Farm

Hatchfield farm development is detrimental for the future survival of Newmarket as world’s Racing HQ. No need to build a single house on a greenfield site in the town.
Hatchfield Farm decision deferred, click here
Matthew Hancock, Conservative Candidate, letter on Hatchfield Farm following deferral, click here
Lord Derby intends to sell Hatchfield farm once he has planning permission to solve financial problems - click here
Caroline Spelman, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, comments on the Newmarket housing development issue, click here
Save Historic Newmarket’s Objections to the Hatchfield Farm Planning Application, click here

Historic Newmarket is unique: up to 3,000 racehorses cross its roads every day!

Newmarket - Facts & Figures

What is it?

The proposed development at Hatchfield Farm , initially thought to be 1,200 new build homes, now also includes an 80 bedroom hotel, retail space, bars, restaurants, fast food outlets and 27,000 square metres of commercial units. Owned by Lord Derby, just yards from Newmarket town centre, it will add 33% (5,000 people) to the population (15,000) of Newmarket, a unique small country town, world famous as the home of British horse racing for four centuries. It will urbanise the town making it unsuitable for training and breeding racehorses and result in the eventual demise of the town as HQ.

Why not?

Newmarket , a unique, historic, rural market town, has been the UK and world’s HQ of racing since 17th Century, and this development will make it unfeasible to maintain, let alone develop, this economically important core industry which is the town’s lifeblood employing around 50% of the town’s population.
It will urbanise the town making it unsuitable for training and breeding racehorses and result in the eventual demise of the town as HQ.
Totally unnecessary - no need to build a single house on a greenfield site in Newmarket area to meet current Labour government targets, there are enough brownfield sites to meet requirements.
This sort of development is not in line with Conservative policy, and under a Conservative government it is likely to be abandoned. Pursuing this development at this time is wasting taxpayers’ money.

Why is it happening?

Stimulated by Forest Heat District Council’s (FHDC) quick fix approach to meet government targets
FHDC’s lack of understanding of the economic importance of core industry, racing
Lord Derby’s desire to monetize his assets regardless of the propriety, he is one of the wealthiest landowners in the country

What do we want?

FHDC needs to put a stop to this needless Hatchfield farm development by taking it out from the housing development strategy. All major developments should be assessed for impact on the town’s core racing industry.
Developer should withdraw the development proposal.