West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 18) Preferred Options

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Part Three: Site Allocations

Strategic location for future development

2.5.8. In the former Forest Heath Local Plan one strategic site is allocated in Newmarket which will deliver 400 new homes, five hectares of employment and a primary school. The residential component of this site and the school have outline planning permission, but development has not yet commenced.

2.5.9. In this new local plan, it is important that development is distributed to the most sustainable places in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This means that the majority of new development is being directed to the district’s five towns. Further information on this can be read in part one of this document.

2.5.10. A variety of factors have helped determine the most appropriate locations for new strategic development in Newmarket, including the town’s infrastructure and environmental capacity, available sites, the need to balance employment and housing needs, as well as potential impacts to the horse racing industry and levels of growth taking place in recent years.

2.5.11. Taking into account all of the above, one preferred location for future strategic development has been identified to meet future housing needs at Hatchfield Farm. This site is in addition to the site that is already allocated part of which has outline planning permission for housing and a school.

2.5.12. It is considered that this site could deliver around 400 additional homes and an additional five hectares of employment in the plan period, however, further evidence-based work is required to determine the precise number of dwellings.

2.5.13. For the purposes of this preferred options consultation the red line boundary of the site includes the entirety of the land available for development but only part of that land is needed to deliver the homes and jobs needed. This consultation and further evidence base work will aid the preparation of a site concept plan for this strategic site. The concept plan will refine the site boundary and be included in the final version of this plan.

2.5.14. At this stage we are interested to hear your views on the principle of this proposed strategic location, which is set out in more detail below, and whether you feel this is the right location for the future allocation of homes in the town taking into account the policy and capacity considerations.

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2.05a Hatchfield Farm additional land, Fordham Road, Newmarket

New reference number: 2.05a

SHELAA reference: WS145 and WS145(A)

Location: Hatchfield Farm, Fordham Road, Newmarket

Site area: 38 hectares (to be refined once capacity is known)

Preferred options indicative capacity: mixed use to include 400 dwellings and five hectares of employment

Site map

2.05a Hatchfield Farm extension, Fordham Road, Newmarket

Policy and capacity considerations

  1. The red line boundary includes the entirety of the land available for development but only part of that land will be required to deliver the homes and jobs needed.
  2. This site is to the northeast of Newmarket bound by the A14 to the north, the existing allocation and Studlands Park housing area to the west and open fields and paddocks to the east and south.
  3. The site lies adjacent to the existing settlement boundary.
  4. Suitable for residential and employment mixed use.
  5. A concept statement and masterplan will be required for the site prior to the determination of any planning application. This should have regard to the adopted masterplan for the site 2.05b.
  6. The transport impact of the proposal on horse movements in the town, together with impacts on other users of the highway, must be assessed to determine whether the proposal results in material adverse impacts and, where necessary, to identify any measures necessary to mitigate the individual (and, where appropriate, cumulative) transport impacts of development.
  7. This site is within five kilometres of Devils Dyke Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Within this distance the potential for in-combination recreational effects should be considered.
  8. The site triggers the site of special scientific interest (SSSI) impact risk zone relating to Newmarket Heath SSSI and Devils Dyke SSSI.
  9. Retain, with appropriate buffers, the existing mature trees some of which are protected by a tree preservation order.
  10. Retain and enhance the existing woodland and tree belts, hedgerows and boundary features with appropriate buffers.
  11. Provide a wide buffer with the A14 (30 metres) and with the railway line (25 metres).
  12. Provide an appropriate landscape buffer proposed employment uses.
  13. This site is partially or wholly within a minerals consultation area. The quantity and quality of the minerals resources beneath the site and the feasibility of either: extraction prior to development of the site or use of some of the sand and gravel in the development itself should be assessed.
  14. Additional power infrastructure may be required.
  15. Provide cycle and pedestrian connections to George Lambton playing fields and the existing cycle and footpath network.
  16. The site is within one kilometre of one or more established public rights of way and opportunities to connect to these will be required.
  17. Ongoing discussions with infrastructure providers will establish and define infrastructure requirements generated by the site.
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