'Potentially life threatening to horses and staff' - William Haggas weighs in on new proposal in long-running Newmarket dispute

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Another row in Newmarket about Hatchfield Farm gathered momentum on Monday evening when the town council’s development and planning committee unanimously objected to Lord Derby’s plans to put three giant warehouses on the site.

As well as their opposition, chair Rachel Hood read out four letters of objection to the scheme, including one from trainer William Haggas, who said the HGV traffic risk from the proposals could be "dangerous and potentially life threatening to horses and staff".

The Hatchfield Farm site has been a controversial location in the eyes of the local racing community for almost two decades. 

The first plans and public consultations for the development emerged in 2008 and Lord Derby formally submitted an outline planning application to Forest Heath District Council for the 160-acre greenfield site in November 2009. His submission to build 1,200 homes on it was turned down by then secretary of state Eric Pickles in 2011.

Entrance to the proposed industrial area at Hatchfield Farm Credit: David Milnes (racingpost.com/photos)

A smaller scheme for 400 homes plus a light industrial area was approved by Forest Heath District Council's development control committee in 2014, only for the decision to be reversed by the government in 2016. However, that was overturned a year later at the High Court and was finally given the green light in 2020.

Work on the houses started only last year, but the focus of the latest objection is to the as yet undeveloped industrial area, which has changed from previous plans into three substantial warehouses.

The road infrastructure is already in place for access to this area, which lies at the north end of the site, but questions have been raised about the prospect of having HGVs going down Fordham Road into Newmarket and past historic training yards, rather than heading to the neighbouring A14.

Hood said at the meeting: “I called the West Suffolk Council planning officer today and she said she was both disappointed and surprised not to have been consulted about these plans by the applicant. 

"We have received four objections to the plans, including one from the Newmarket Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding Forum."

The building of 400 houses has started at Hatchfield Farm Credit: David Milnes (racingpost.com/photos)

The forum's objection said: “The scale and nature of the proposed development confirms three distribution scale buildings, each with two-way HGV access. This presents a risk of such vehicles using the Fordham Road, where horses daily move between yards and public gallops, and a risk to horse and rider safety.“

The Newmarket trainers' group also objected strongly to the application, as did Tattersalls and Fordham Road resident Haggas, who wrote: “I write as a resident and trainer of 200 horses on the Fordham Road and I object to the latest planning application for Hatchfield Farm. I’ve seen the plans, which seem to be for an enormous industrial centre, which is completely unacceptable.”

He added of the traffic risk: “In the event these plans are approved, categorically every vehicle leaving that area must be made to turn right on to the A14 and not be allowed to turn left to come through town, as this would be dangerous and potentially life threatening to both horses and staff.”

Read more . . .

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