Blow for Lord Derby as government minister reopens Hatchfield Farm inquiry

Newmarket's standing as a "sporting location of international importance" will again come under scrutiny in the coming weeks after the government decided to reopen the inquiry into the controversial Hatchfield Farm site.

After a ten-year saga, Lord Derby had looked as if he was finally nearing a green light for his development in March when it was included in Forest Heath District Council's local housing plan at the last minute.

The racing industry have opposed Hatchfield Farm for ten years

Even before that could be consulted upon, new housing, communities and local government minister James Brokenshire has decided to reopen the original inquiry, which was last held in 2015.

Newmarket's recently reappointed mayor Rachel Hood welcomed the new minister's intervention and cast doubt on some of the details of Lord Derby's proposals, which include 400 houses and five hectares of light industry provision.

She said: "Newmarket Town Council welcomes the reopening of the inquiry into Hatchfield Farm as it has consistently opposed this damaging development over many years. The town council supports the economic benefits that flow from Newmarket's unique position as a sporting location of international importance of the magnitude of, say, Wimbledon or Silverstone to their sports."

She added: "There is already a sizeable amount of housing provision in Forest Heath and we don't believe that the social housing element within these plans will ever come about. All it will be is executive housing from which people will commute to Cambridge.

"The B1 light industry is neither needed nor appropriate and wouldn't even be considered if they classed trainers' yards as employment land, but they don't. Thankfully at the inquiry they will be able to update the traffic assessment as it's got significantly worse since the last one was held."

The proposed site of land for residential buildings at Hatchfield FarmCredit: Edward Whitaker

The new minister said in a statement that he "considers that there have been significant changes in circumstances since the inquiry which are material to the re-determination of the proposal".

He added: "A large volume of updated technical material has also been received from parties since the inquiry on complex issues. Re-opening the inquiry would give all parties an opportunity to thoroughly test this updated evidence, including by cross-examination if necessary."

On behalf of Lord Derby, Rebekah Paczek said: "We are disappointed that the secretary of state has chosen to hold yet another public inquiry into the Hatchfield Farm proposals, four years after it was resolved to grant consent by Forest Heath District Council.

"We appreciate that the Local Plan in particular has moved on significantly since the original inquiry, with Hatchfield Farm now re-included in the draft plan for both residential and employment. However, since the original inquiry, updated environmental and transport assessments have been undertaken annually and have demonstrated the same position, no negative impact, as during the original inquiry."

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