Issues with the Proposed Hatchfield Farm Development

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.

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.
• Totally unnecessary – no need to build a single house on a greenfield site in Newmarket area to meet the Labour government targets, there are enough brownfield sites to meet requirements.
• This 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 current government targets and 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.

Supporting Facts and Information

Development has the potential to make Newmarket, UK and world’s HQ of racing, unfeasible to maintain, let alone develop, its economically essential core racing industry

• Hatchfield development is wholly incompatible with the ability of the town’s core racing industry, its lifeblood, to function safely and efficiently and will therefore cause its inevitable decline with the potential to impact on the racing industry in the UK.
• Newmarket has been the world’s racing HQ since 17th Century and Save Historic Newmarket, Newmarket Town Council, local residents and the 13 racing trade bodies and major companies opposing this development plan are doing so to preserve historic Newmarket.  They want to preserve the world’s racing HQ for future generations.

Newmarket – the world’s HQ of racing

• Horseracing was brought to Newmarket by King Charles I in 17th Century and King Charles II made it into the national centre for horseracing.  The growth of Newmarket as the centre of the horseracing industry continued through the 19th and 20th Centuries to give it its current status as the world capital of the industry.
• Racing is the second biggest sport in Britain after football (source: Deloitte’s report) with a generated expenditure of £3.4 billion. Newmarket, a rural market town, is the heart of the horse racing world and is referred to as “HQ”.
• Unique and world capital status arises from the range of horse racing interests in the town covering all aspects of the racing industry. There are more racehorses, trainers, stable staff, stud farms and racing organisations based in and around the town of Newmarket than anywhere else in the world.

          o    84 trainers, with over 3,000 horses in training, 48 studs and a supporting industry including vets, farriers, feed merchants and more and has 2 of the country’s best known racecourses and is the head office to major racing organisations, including Tattersalls and Jockey Club Estates.

• The horseracing industry is essential to Newmarket and its economy.  It is estimated that up to 33% of jobs in Newmarket are directly related to horse racing being provided in the training yards, studs and stables and over 50% with supporting industries included.
• Economic effect of racehorse industry on Newmarket (excluding racecourse and betting revenue and turnover:  direct spend locally in Newmarket area greater than £150 million, Indirect spend locally in Newmarket area greater than £100 million. Turnover of horseracing sales and stud farm business greater than £500 million, of which expenditure from oversea is greater than £250 million.
• With around 3,000 horses crossing the roads daily, traffic congestion is already a major issue that needs tackling with gridlock being a regular feature and ambulances often struggling to reach injured riders on the gallops with an increasing number of accidents occurring.
• With traffic is set to grow regardless of the development and with the potential for 1,000 more horses to be in training, Newmarket is already on course for even more serious issues in relation to safety and traffic congestion.

Impact of Hatchfield Farm Development on Newmarket and racing industry

• 1,200 houses increasing the population by around 33% will urbanise this rural market town making it unsuitable for many in the racing world to maintain their business in the town, traffic will become even worse and indeed untenably unsafe for horses, riders, drivers and pedestrians.
• Fordham Road will be primary corridor from traffic movement from Hatchfield Farm and this is one of the primary areas of daily horse movement – today up to 1,000 horses daily cross this one road with around 3,000 horses crossing through the town daily.
• The report compiled for Tattersalls by Cannons Consulting Engineers and Barton Willmore, planning specialists, found that the Hatchfield Farm development could lead to an increase in morning peak traffic of up to 65% on Fordham Road coinciding with the peak daily movement across the Fordham and Bury Roads of around 3,000 racehorses in training. Safety and congestion issues which have been a major problem in Newmarket for many years would be dramatically exacerbated and the report highlights how FHDC have consistently disregarded these concerns.
• Forest Heath needs to be managing the traffic issue to protect its core industry rather than adding factors to exacerbate it.
• This development will affect the attractiveness of Newmarket to the racing industry and risk the ability of Newmarket to support the economy to the extent it already does and the extent that would be desired in the future.
• Strong support behind SHN’s campaign extends well beyond Newmarket and includes the whole of the racing industry, and this includes 13 trade associations and organisations: British Horseracing Authority, Darley Stud Management Co Ltd, Godolphin Management Co Ltd, Jockey Club Estates Ltd, National Trainers Federation, Newmarket Racecourse, Newmarket Stud Farmers’ Association, Newmarket Trainers’ Federation, Racehorse Owners’ Association, Racehorse Transporters’ Association, Save Historic Newmarket Action Group, Tattersall’s Ltd, The Horseman’s Group, and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.

Moreover, it is totally unnecessary and there is no need to build a single house on a greenfield site in Newmarket

• Independent assessment report published by planning specialists, Barton Wilmore states there are only 867 new homes to be allocated to meet government targets, and these can be met by the numerous available brownfield sites.
• There is no rush as unallocated Brownfield sites (examples of sites) provide sufficient capacity for the shortfall to be built between now and 2021, or perhaps even the extended deadline of 2031.
• Forest Heath District Council needs to provide 6,400 new homes under the targets set by John Prescott’s Regional Spatial Strategy.  This target should be nearly met with completed and underway developments: 1,076 have been built, with a further 4,457 either under construction or having planning permission or on sites allocated for dev elopement. This leaves the 867 homes yet to be allocated and there are sufficient brownfield sites available to cover these requirements.
• These housing targets set by John Prescott’s East of England Plan, the Regional Spatial Strategy, are likely to be abandoned by the Conservative Party – Caroline Spelman MP, shadow minister for communities and local government, has written to councils to inform them of this and local conservative MP Richard Spring has indicated this to Forest Heath District Council.
• In addition, it appears there is already a surplus of affordable housing in Newmarket . The US Air force departure from an estate opposite Hatchfield Farm, Studlands, has been like a ghost land with numerous empty houses.

Development is stimulated by council’s quick fix approach to meet government targets, Lord Derby’s desire to monetize his assets regardless of the propriety, and lack of understanding of Newmarket’s core racing industry.

• Quick fix - With claims Forest Heath District is behind meeting government targets, Hatchfield farm with its 1,200 proposed house project would exceed its shortfall of 867.
• The allocation of Hatchfield Farm for the development of 1,2000 houses represents a significant change in planning policy in the town.  Historically, planning policy has sought to encourage the development of the horseracing industry and to protect it against the impact of development.
• The horseracing industry is concerned that the identification of Hatchfield Farm to accommodate 1,200 houses has not been subject to detailed studies or the provision of an adequate evidence base.  In a report published by Cannons Consulting Engineers and Barton Willmore, it found the absence of a number of key documents including transport assessment, ecology and biodiversity studies and concept masterplans.
• In addition, given the importance of the horseracing industry to Newmarket, it is expected that  studies to examine the impact of the development on the activities of the industry would have been undertaken.  This work has not been undertaken by the FHDC.
• Lord Derby is profiteering, and is being disingenuous as to his motives. He claims the rationale for Hatchfield Farm development is it is “the best way to meet council’s obligations to provide more homes”. It sounds very worthy but it not his obligation to meet council targets that the conservative party is likely to withdraw.  It is anticipated that he will make many millions from the development.
• With Lord Derby’s main residence in Liverpool, his life and livelihood (unlike his brother whose stud is in Newmarket) will not be disrupted or negatively impacted in the longer term by the development.

Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) needs to review its approach to help protect and develop its core racing industry

• Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) needs to take into account the importance of Newmarket’s core race industry when making planning decisions.
• With regard to Hatchfield Farm Development, it has not undertaken any assessment to look at its impact on Newmarket’s core racing industry.  This needs to be undertaken with regard to any major planning project in Newmarket.
• FHDC needs to be looking to improve the town for its core racing industry, including improving the increasing traffic congestion and hazardous safety conditions for the unique mix of horse and rider, pedestrians and traffic.
• Specifically, FHDC to review its Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) that 1,200 houses should be accommodated in North East Newmarket - they are not necessary and are detrimental to Newmarket’s historic core racing industry.
• We believe, once it is taken into account the number of houses can be provided from existing commitments; and the number of houses that can be provided from identified sites within the SHLAA on the basis that only minimum densities are achieved; there is no need to allocate North East Newmarket/Hatchfield Farm in the period to 2031.

Sources include: Tattersalls and the Newmarket Racing Industry compiled by Barton Willmore, and Cannons Consulting Engineers: http://www.tattersalls.com/property/Reps002.17666.AJ%20Final.pdf;  British Horseracing Authority’s report on Economic impact of British Racing 2009 compiled by Deloitte

 

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