Newmarket, Britain’s historic centre for thoroughbred racing, is facing a contentious planning battle after an application was submitted to build three warehouses and 408 parking spaces on part of Stanley House Stud. The scheme, lodged by Sansovino Developments on behalf of Lord Derby and his son, has prompted objections from trainers, Tattersalls, the town council and local MPs over fears of increased HGV traffic, threats to horse safety and damage to the town’s racing ecosystem. Local authorities are divided and the decision could shape Newmarket’s future for decades.
Newmarket’s Racing Heart at Risk as Lord Derby Proposes Three Warehouses
The proposed development has attracted concern about the impact of traffic on the nearby training yards - Sansovino Developments Ltd
Every morning thousands of racehorses are exercised on Newmarket’s gallops, continuing a tradition that stretches back to at least 1622. Today the town stables more than 3,000 thoroughbreds and hosts the headquarters of the Jockey Club, the historic Tattersalls auction house and the British Racing School.
That heritage is at the centre of a heated planning dispute after proposals were submitted to build three industrial warehouses and 408 parking spaces on the northern part of Stanley House Stud, a breeding operation owned by the Derby family.
Newmarket has a long and illustrious history as the heart of British racing dating all the way back to 1622 - David Tramontan/Getty
The application, lodged in May on behalf of Sansovino Developments Ltd — a company run by Lord Derby and his son, Lord Stanley — includes computer-generated imagery showing a cluster of tightly packed, container-like units about 28ft tall, set among trees beside a large car park. The documents do not specify the precise intended use of the site.
Peter Stanley, the Earl of Derby’s younger brother, has managed the stud since 1983. Opponents say the proposed development, sited next to the Hatchfield Farm housing scheme where 400 homes are already under construction, risks channelling heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) along narrow roads past training yards where hundreds of horses are exercised daily.
Newmarket residents have warned the town’s ‘identity’ could be at risk - Ian Dagnall/Alamy
Rachel Hood, a former Conservative mayor of Newmarket, warned: "There’s no thought for the delicate ecosystem of Newmarket. It’s not any old town. It’s an internationally important place for UK PLC. There will be these huge HGVs going through town 24 hours a day. For people on horses, it’s really quite frightening, and it causes accidents."
The plans have attracted formal objections from a wide range of local figures. Nick Timothy, the Conservative MP for West Suffolk, said the proposal "risks damaging Newmarket" and should be refused because it could worsen residents’ quality of life and harm the world-famous racing industry.
Tattersalls, the world’s oldest bloodstock auctioneer based in Newmarket, told planners that "the intricacies of training racehorses in a semi-urban environment is considerable," and highlighted concerns about increased HGV traffic along Fordham Road. Trainers have echoed those fears: William Haggas, who stables around 200 horses on Fordham Road, called the proposals "totally unacceptable," while James Fanshawe said the safety of his staff and horses is his "major concern."
The controversial proposals were submitted in May on behalf of a company run by Lord Derby (pictured) and his son - Max Mumby/Getty
Planning documents prepared on behalf of Lord Derby in 2013 previously argued that wider developments would have "no material impact" on racing activities. Nevertheless, the plan revives tensions that accompanied the long-running Hatchfield Farm dispute, which began in 2009 and culminated in the approval of a reduced housing scheme in 2020 after legal challenges.
Newmarket town council has lodged strong objections, warning that increased HGV movements could pose a "life-threatening danger" to residents and horses. Suffolk County Council has not objected on traffic grounds, leaving the local planning picture divided.
The Hatchfield Farm development on the outskirts of town has also been met with tough opposition - Sansovino Developments Ltd
Lord Derby’s family are established in racing circles: Stanley House Stud foaled Ouija Board in 2001, the filly who went on to win more than £3.5m and later produced successful offspring. Yet many in Newmarket fear that industrial development on the stud land would erode the semi-rural character that underpins the town’s international reputation as the home of the thoroughbred.
The planning application has not yet been decided. For Newmarket — a town whose identity has long been inseparable from horse racing — the outcome could shape its environment and economy for decades to come.
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