Lord Derby’s statements on his proposed Hatchfield Farm Development

26th January 2010

Lord Derby at last came clean with the real reason for his plans to develop Hatchfield Farm last week in the Evening Standard (20th January). Save Historic Newmarket has been concerned since Lord Derby’s plans to develop Hatchfield Farm have come into the public domain that a number of statements have been made which are misleading.

  • Lord Derby is obtaining planning permission purely for financial reasons and does not as he says he has have the best interests of the racing industry at heart and a strong desire to deliver the government affordable housing targets. In the Evening Standard on 20th January: “Asked about his motives for the scheme, Lord Derby said’ Clearly Inheritance tax takes quite a hold on things, we have spent the past 15 years trying to improve the estate and clearly I carry quite a debt burden at the moment.” 
  • Despite Lord Derby’s continual assurances that it is better to have a developer who understands racing, it has become clear after in depth studying of his planning application that he intends to sell Hatchfield Farm once he obtains permission:

    Daily Telegraph, 18th December, Lord Derby is quoted saying: “And I would argue that it is far better to have someone who understands racing and its concerns working on this development than someone with no interest at all.”

    On page 7, para 12.1 of this document (http://fhdcrw.onesuffolk.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D602021A-0C11-434C-8586-18229E298CEC/0/HSM85830.pdf) contained within the 17-box planning application submitted by Lord Derby’s consultants to Forest Heath District in December , there was a line that indicates that Lord Derby will not be the developer but will sell Hatchfield Farm with planning permission to a developer.

    “12.1 It is only possible to speak on behalf of Lord Derby and the Hatchfield Farm site.  In this case, a planning application will be submitted shortly and it is envisaged that planning permission could be granted later in 2010, after the adoption of the Core Strategy.  This will allow the site to be brought to the market in 2010/2011.  For those reasons, the recession has had no impact on the delivery programme for Hatchfield Farm.”
  • Prior to the submission of his application, Lord Derby had publicly implied that the application was purely a housing development and had not raised the fact he was also intending it to be a significant mixed use commercial development.  As well as 1,200 dwellings, the application comprises an 80 bedroom hotel, 27,000 square metres of offices, a cinema, restaurants,bars and retain outlets and a park and ride facility.

    These will  significantly increase all the traffic issues around Fordham road, where over 1,000 horses cross the roads daily and the urbanisation of rural Newmarket resulting in the demise of the town as HQ of racing.  A summary of his application can be found on: http://www.historicnewmarket.co.uk/timetable-and-planning-application.html

Rachel Hood, Chair of Save Historic Newmarket said:
“Lord Derby has continually insisted that his motives are to help the government achieve its affordable housing targets and that he has insisted that he is the best developer for Newmarket as he is part of the racing industry.  We have always disputed his “philanthropic” rationale and his developer credentials and plans. We are now clear that his motives are purely financial and he has no intention of being the developer - he plans to sell Hatchfield Farm once he has planning permission.

“I urge all residents of Newmarket to join Save Historic Newmarket Action Group in our efforts to stop this disastrous development for our town.  Please come to the Newmarket Town Hall meeting on 1st February and sign our petition at http://www.historicnewmarket.co.uk/petition.html.”