Barratt Redrow has denied that a planning application to redevelop Kempton Park racecourse will be submitted this year, after Spelthorne MP Lincoln Jopp reportedly told residents the move was coming.
The dispute centres on the future of one of British jump racing’s most recognisable venues, with Kempton home to the King George VI Chase and a long-running development debate. The developer holds an option over the Surrey site, but has pushed back on the timing claim after fresh concern among local residents and racing supporters.
Why Kempton Uncertainty Matters
According to The Guardian’s report on Kempton Park, Jopp told a residents’ meeting on Thursday that he had been informed of plans for an application involving more than 2,000 homes after talks with representatives of Barratt Redrow and the Jockey Club.
Barratt Redrow disputed that timetable, saying an application is not going to be submitted this year, while talks with Spelthorne borough council continue through the local Call for Sites process.
The Jockey Club first announced a proposed sale of Kempton for housing in 2017 before shelving the plan in 2020 after heavy opposition. The issue returned late last year when the developer’s 10-year option, agreed in 2018 and dependent on planning permission, came back into focus.
For racing, the key point is that Kempton’s status remains unsettled rather than resolved. Friday’s denial reduces the sense of an imminent application, but it does not remove the wider development question around a course central to the winter jumps programme.
