4.4.1. Exning is a village with a population of 2,171 (2019 mid-year estimate), located to the north-west of Newmarket. Although physically close to the northern edge of Newmarket, Exning is separated by the A14 trunk road and retains its own identity and integrity as a village. It is a village well served by a variety of facilities including convenience food store, primary and pre-school and recreation and leisure facilities.

Constraints and opportunities

• Existing capacity issues at junction 37 of the A14 trunk road north-east of Newmarket may be exacerbated by further growth.
• There is at least an hourly bus service running from at least 7am (at the latest) to 7pm (at the earliest).
• Exning has land within flood zones 2 and 3 running north to south through the middle of the settlement and also to the east of the settlement boundary.
• Exning has a number of known archaeological sites and an extensive conservation area which covers much of the village and extends northwards to include the Grade II* listed Exning House and its grounds, which creates an attractive setting for the north-east of the village.
• Development opportunities are limited to the north by the conservation area and its relationship with the wider landscape.
• Potential growth is fundamentally constrained by the sensitivity of the landscape character of the surrounding stud land.
• It is important to retain the undeveloped green buffers between Exning and Newmarket, and Exning and Burwell to avoid coalescence.

 Preferred allocations

4.4.2. No new sites have been identified in Exning due to growth being constrained by the sensitivity of the surrounding landscapes character and studland uses. There has been a high level of strategic growth in Burwell, in neighbouring East Cambridgeshire District, as well as a previous allocation in Exning for 205 dwellings on which development has commenced and this is included as an allocation in this plan. This growth will meet the needs of the village in this plan period. Further information on opportunity areas can be seen in the opportunity and constraints study (2022) produced as evidence to support this plan. Further information on how housing numbers have been derived can be seen in part one of the local plan.

4.4.3. Information on alternative site options considered but not taken forward can be seen in the table of omission sites in appendix B.

4.4.4. An existing established employment area has been identified for Exning. Further details can be seen in chapter 7 employment. The site is identified on the policies map.

4.4.5. Information on infrastructure can be seen in the draft infrastructure delivery plan (IDP) (2022) which sets out baseline data for each settlement.

Exning settlement constraints map

Exning preferred allocations map