Racecourse petition against housing hits 2,000

An MP's petition opposing development of thousands of homes at Kempton Park Racecourse has hit 2,000 signatures.

Lincoln Jopp, who represents Spelthorne, in Surrey, claims developers are preparing a planning application for the Sunbury-on-Thames site.

Plans to build there were first put forward in 2017 and campaigners fear a fresh push could come this year.

Jopp said: "If you want housing in Spelthorne, I've got plenty of other places to choose from which don't mean destroying an iconic racecourse."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service Jopp took his petition to a village fair in Shepperton on Saturday, where signatures went from 1,400 to 2,081.

Kempton Park is subject to an agreement giving builder Redrow the right to buy it if planning permission is granted.

The Jockey Club said: "Any residential development would be dependent on planning approval and as that process has not started, the focus for Kempton Park continues to be on hosting racing."

Jopp believes developers are preparing an application that would "destroy the racecourse".

His petition reads: "We know that green belt land provides a vital buffer between our towns and villages, as well as protecting vital space for wildlife.

"Kempton Park is a strongly-performing green belt and valued by the local community."

Redrow's parent company, Barratt Redrow, said: "We have an agreement with the Jockey Club giving us the right to promote Kempton Park for development, and since this agreement was made we have been reviewing whether the site, or parts of it, could assist with the delivery of much needed new housing."

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