Jobs or horses? Planning row over lorry traffic

Plans to build three large commercial buildings on the outskirts of a town have been approved, despite concerns over the impact of lorry traffic on horses.

The proposals for Newmarket, Suffolk, were signed off at a West Suffolk Council planning meeting on Wednesday.

Sansovino Developments Limited wants to build the units at Hatchfield Farm, in Fordham Road and said it could create 600 jobs.

Labour councillor Janne Jarvis said a condition should be imposed to ensure HGVs turn onto the A14 instead of driving through the town, adding: "Newmarket is under tremendous pressure already from traffic. What we must not do is create further dangers for horses and riders because what we really cannot afford is a tragedy."

MP for West Suffolk, Conservative Nick Timothy, called for a similar measure.

He said: "Thoroughbred horses are not conditioned to share roads with heavy articulated lorries."

Concerns over the increase in traffic were also raised by members of the horse racing community, who sought a condition "requiring lorries to turn immediately toward the A14, regardless of direction of intended travel".

However, Richard Gee, the applicant, said: "Any more conditions are just inappropriate; they cannot be justified."

Planning officers said such a condition was neither acceptable nor enforceable and the committee approved the proposals by 13 votes to two.

Councillor Andy Neal, who sits on the committee, said traffic issues were not different from those in other towns, including Mildenhall, which he represents.

He said: "The horse racing industry is protecting Newmarket, to a large extent, from growth other towns are encountering, and they can't really hide behind that.

"There's employment opportunities that sit outside the horse racing industry that really need to be welcomed."

The plans for Hatchfield Farm also include 400 homes, which were approved in 2020, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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