Newmarket's Hatchfield Farm is back on the agenda with inquiry re-opening

The decade-long saga of Newmarket’s Hatchfield Farm is back on the agenda with an announcement by James Brokenshire, the new Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, that he planned to re-open the inquiry into Lord Derby’s proposal to build 400 homes on the Fordham Road site.

He said considered there had been ‘significant changes’ in circumstances since the last inquiry three years ago which were ‘material to the redetermination of the proposal’, including the publication for consultation of the Single Issues Review and Site Allocations Local Plan Main Modifications on April 25.

Lord Derby said he was disappointed the Secretary of State had chosen to hold yet another public inquiry, four years after Forest Heath District Council had given its consent to his development proposal.

But his spokeswoman said: “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.

“Suffolk County Council has confirmed that the traffic figures remain up to date. Furthermore, we have adopted the preferred Rayes Lane horse crossing within the plans to address concerns proposed within the horse racing industry and will deliver an improvement to the A14/A142 junction without recourse to Government subsidy.

“We hope that the public inquiry will provide further opportunity to present how the proposals for Hatchfield are compliant with both local and national government policy, providing 30 per cent affordable housing and nearly £7 million in infrastructure improvements alongside growing public support for much-needed housing on this site to provide for the families and community within Newmarket.”