Playing Our Part In Newmarket’s Future
Newmarket has been The Jockey Club’s home for almost three centuries and whilst we’ve always played our part in shaping its future, today marks the start of a new approach.
At the end of March 2022, The Jockey Club launched a consultation around ideas for how we might be able to help Newmarket thrive in the future. We displayed a range of suggestions at an exhibition in the Memorial Hall and on this project website. We also invited you to give us your feedback and share your own ideas with us.
We met over 300 people during the course of the three-day event, and our project website was visited more than 2,500 times during the consultation period which ran until April 22nd 2022.
Our aim is to become more involved in the conversation around what Newmarket’s residents, businesses and racing industry want – and need – to ensure a healthy, vibrant and prosperous future for all.
All feedback, suggestions and concerns that have been gathered since March are being reviewed in more detail by the project team as we consider our next steps.
Although our window for feedback is now closed, you can still contact the project team if you have any further questions or sign up to our mailing list to receive project updates.
WHY WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE NOW
Inside Newmarket
Newmarket’s population is just over 21,000, around 5,000 more than the 2011 census and expected to grow again in the current decade. In 2020 Newmarket’s housing supply shortage was the highest of any town in England* . Growth opportunities in Newmarket for new homes, business space and public open space are constrained by a variety of factors including the railway, the A14 and land used for thoroughbred racing and breeding industries. All options for sustainable growth which can enhance the town’s unique way of life – including its position as the world’s pre-eminent cluster of racehorses – need to be considered.
Beyond Newmarket
The West Suffolk Local Plan process is looking at how Newmarket might grow over the next 20 years. Our conversation with the community will inform The Jockey Club’s decision around how to engage in that process. Cambridge’s growth towards the east of the city is likely to make Newmarket a more attractive place to live and work. Proposals for 12,000 homes and 500,000 square feet of commercial space at Cambridge Airport are being seen as the economic engine for the city. Newmarket needs to remain a strong, thriving town within the wider area. Without a clear vision and plan, there is a risk that its unique way of life could be damaged, which, in turn, could affect its ability to thrive in the future.
