Save Historic Newmarket is grassroots organisation based in Newmarket, Suffolk, with the stated aim of preserving the town as the global centre of the horseracing industry [1] and the many thousands of jobs [2] it provides, and as a potential World Heritage Site. [3] It came to national attention as one of many groups opposed to the Hatchfield stud farm development. [4]
Newmarket is generally regarded as the global centre of thoroughbred horse racing. [5] It is one of two major business clusters in its region, the other being the Cambridge Science Park. [6] The horse racing and breeding businesses provide over 8,500 jobs in the town alone. [6] However, it has been noted that whilst being the leading employer, the racing industry in the town is fragile for a number of reasons, one being the difficulty of providing for the safe movement each day of the thousands of horses that are kept in Newmarket through the town to its training grounds. [6]
Save Historic Newmarket began with small projects, including advising retailer Majestic Wine on a redesign of their new shop in the town, then in the planning stage. [7] It is now one of the company's showcase shops.
The group supports development in the district area surrounding Newmarket, Suffolk, and has supported a number of towns in the district who wish to greatly increase their housing allocations. However, it also supports the view of major local businesses that the proposed use of Hatchfield farm for 1,200 houses would be disastrous for the town's small and major businesses and employees, partially owing to a congested and inflexible road system in the town and poor present means of movement for horses around the town. Over 3,000 horses live in Newmarket, and most need to use the training grounds on a daily basis. [5]
Save Historic Newmarket first came to national attention in 2009 [8] by organising opposition to plans by Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby to build on the land adjacent to his Staney House stud farm. [9] The group and its affiliates have argued that the development represents a very poor cost-benefit bargain, as it threatens the town's future as a major economic, exporting and employment centre, [10] whilst providing a residential development suited to nearby towns which have repeatedly requested more houses than they have been allocated in local plans.
The development has also been opposed by major local employers including the Jockey Club, Tattersalls, Godolphin racing, Darley Stud, and trainers Sir Michael Stoute, Henry Cecil, James Fanshawe, Luca Cumani, John Gosden, Clive Brittain, John Berry and many others. [11] Senior managers of Godolphin Racing admitted that they could be forced to leave Newmarket if the development was approved. [12] It is estimated that Godolphin and sister company Darley's departure from Newmarket would lead to the loss of at least 1,000 jobs. [13]
On 2 June 2010, Forest Heath Planning Councillors unanimously rejected Lord Derby's plans on five separate grounds. [14] This was the first such local decision following announcement of the abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies by Conservative Communities and Local Government Minister Eric Pickles. [14] Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby appealed the unanimous rejection of his plans. [15] Local residents have said they had to raise up to £1 million to fight Lord Derby's appeal.
A group of local residents and businesses including Save Historic Newmarket then challenged the district council's planning strategy in the High Court, arguing it was flawed. On 25 March 2011, a Mr Justice Collins quashed the entire planning strategy related to Newmarket. [16] The council and Lord Derby, who had joined them in opposing the local residents, were ordered to pay 90% of the groups' costs and refused leave to appeal. [17]
Lord Derby's appeal proceeded throughout much of summer 2011, and was the subject of protests from local residents and businesses. [18] On 23 March 2012, the Communities and Local Government Minister Eric Pickles, acting on the recommendation of the planning inspector, dismissed the appeal, [19] a decision that Lord Derby did not accept. [20]
Soon after, Lord Derby again applied for planning permission for the whole area, initially building 400 houses but marking the whole area for development. [21] The plans were rejected by Newmarket Town Council, [21] and all Newmarket's councillors on Forest Heath District Council. [22] However, councillors for other towns voted for them, and they were approved by a majority decision. [11] The Secretary of State immediately called the plans in, [23] and a decision is expected in December 2015. [24]
The group has also opposed an application to replace the town's communal playing fields with a Sainsbury's supermarket. [25] The application was refused. [26]
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total direct and indirect expenditure in the British economy, of which £1.05 Billion is from core racing industry expenditure and the major horse racing events such as Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival are important dates in the British and international sporting and society calendar.
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amongst other horse racing assets such as the National Stud, and the property and land management company, Jockey Club Estates. The registered charity Racing Welfare is also a company limited by guarantee with the Jockey Club being the sole member. As it is governed by Royal Charter, all profits it makes are reinvested back into the sport.
Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located west of Bury St Edmunds and northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred horse racing. It is a major local business cluster, with annual investment rivalling that of the Cambridge Science Park, the other major cluster in the region. It is the largest racehorse training centre in Britain, the largest racehorse breeding centre in the country, home to most major British horseracing institutions, and a key global centre for horse health. Two Classic races, and an additional three British Champions Series races are held at Newmarket every year. The town has had close royal connections since the time of James I, who built a palace there, and was also a base for Charles I, Charles II, and most monarchs since. Elizabeth II visited the town often to see her horses in training.
Godolphin is the Maktoum family's private Thoroughbred horseracing stable and was named in honour of the Godolphin Arabian, who came from the desert to become one of the three founding stallions of the modern Thoroughbred. Godolphin is buried at Wandlebury Park in Cambridge, where there is a stone to commemorate this horse in the passageway of the old buildings.
Edward Richard William Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby, is a British hereditary peer and landowner.
Darley Stud is located at Dalham Hall, the global breeding operation owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. It is on the outskirts of Newmarket, Suffolk, the international headquarters and historic home of thoroughbred horse racing.
High-Rise was a Thoroughbred race horse and sire, bred in Ireland, but trained in the United Kingdom, Dubai and the United States. He is best known as the winner of the Derby in 1998.
Godolphin Cross is a village in the former Kerrier District of west Cornwall, England. It is in the civil parish of Breage, midway between the towns of Hayle and Helston.
Raven's Pass is an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse most notable for being the first English-trained winner of the Grade I Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Pommern (1912–1935) was a British bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from 1914 to June 1916 he ran ten times and won seven races. As a three-year-old in 1915 he won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the wartime substitutes for The Derby and the St. Leger Stakes to win a version of the English Triple Crown. After winning his only race as a four-year-old in 1916, he was retired to stud where he had limited success.
Fairway (1925–1948) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Fairway was the best horse of his generation in Britain at two, three and four years old, winning the St Leger Stakes, the Champion Stakes (twice) and the Eclipse Stakes. He retired as a five-year-old in 1930 and went on to become a successful and influential sire.
Captain Cuttle was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He ran only six times in a career which was restricted by chronic injury problems. He was the outstanding British colt of his generation, winning The Derby and the St James's Palace Stakes in 1922. He retired after winning his only race as a four-year-old in 1923.
Airborne was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After showing little worthwhile form as a two-year-old, Airborne improved to become one of the leading three-year-olds in Britain in 1946. He won five successive races including two Classics: the Derby at Epsom and the St Leger at Doncaster. He was the most recent of four greys to have won the Epsom Classic. Airborne went on to have a stud career of limited success.
Gustavus (1818–1840) was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1821 Epsom Derby. Gustavus was the first grey horse to win the Epsom Derby. He raced until he was four years old and was retired to stud in 1823. Gustavus was exported to Prussia in 1836, at the age of 18. Gustavus was not a successful sire.
Sir Andrew David Collins, styled The Hon. Mr Justice Collins, is a retired English barrister and judge. He served as a Justice of the High Court's Queen's Bench Division from 1994 until his 75th birthday in July 2017.
Encke was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse on 15 September 2012 when he defeated the Triple Crown bid of Camelot. In spring of 2013 Encke was banned from racing after failing a drug test. He returned to racing in 2014 and was placed in three races including the Irish St. Leger. He sustained a fatal injury in training in October 2014.
Thomas Weston, born Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, was a British horse racing jockey. One of the most successful jockeys of the inter-war years, he won eleven English Classics, eight as stable jockey for the Earl of Derby including two Derby Stakes winners in Sansovino and Hyperion. He was British flat racing Champion Jockey in 1926.
Scuttle was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She showed considerable promise as a two-year-old in 1925 when she won three races including the Cheveley Park Stakes as well as finishing second in the Queen Mary Stakes. In the following spring she won on her seasonal debut and then recorded a popular and impressive victory in the 1000 Guineas. In her subsequent races she finished second in the Epsom Oaks, third in the Coronation Stakes and second in the Nassau Stakes. She was then retired to become a broodmare but died in 1934 at the age of nine. She was the first and only classic winner owned by King George V.
The Big Stable Newmarket is a heritage-listed former Aboriginal land, farm stables, residence, hotel, factory and detention centre and now stables at 29-39 Young Street in the Sydney suburb of Randwick in the City of Randwick local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Cranbrook Stables;. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.