Edward Richard William Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby (born 10 October 1962) is a British peer. He is known for ownership of the racehorse Ouija Board and for his controversial plans to build houses and an industrial estate on 160 acres (0.65 km2) of greenfield land he inherited in Newmarket, Suffolk. His plans are opposed by local residents and businesses, and have been unanimously rejected by the district council, whom Derby applied to after the town council also rejected his plans. Derby has also engaged in legal action against local residents opposed to his plans. The High Court judge found in favour of the residents and refused Derby permission to appeal.
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Biography
Edward Stanley (known as "Teddy")[1] was born to Hugh Stanley and his wife Rose "Rosie" Stanley (née Birch). He lives at Knowsley Hall near Liverpool,[1] and also has a residence in London.
Stanley is married to Caroline "Cazzie" Stanley (née Neville), Countess of Derby and the daughter of The Lord Braybrooke of Audley End. The couple have three children: Henrietta, Edward and Oliver.
Stanley inherited the title of Earl of Derby in 1994, upon the death of his uncle. He is the owner of the popular Knowsley Safari Park, the biggest park of its kind in Britain, and the Stanley House Stud on Hatchfield Farm.[citation needed]
His son Edward John Robin Stanley was born in 1998. He has been Page of Honour to The Queen since 2008[2] and has performed in two Garter services and four openings of Parliament. He fitted Prince William with a ceremonial garter and held the train of the monarch's crimson velvet robe at the opening of parliament.[3] He is the godson of The Duke of York.[4]
Thoroughbred horse racing
Epsom Derby was named after the 12th Earl of Derby while The Oaks was named after the 12th Earl's house near Epsom. The 19th Earl has followed his forebears with a participation in horse racing and is the owner of a stud farm managed by his brother, The Hon. Peter Stanley. Home to the family's broodmares, the Earl's policy is to sell their colts and race the fillies. The Earl currently owns Ouija Board, winner of seven The Group/Grade 1 races, including the Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in 2004, and the last-named race again in 2006. She also won the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in June 2006. She was third in the Japan Cup following that last win, and was retired after going lame before her intended final start in the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December 2006. Ouija Board won over three million pounds in prize money. She is now due to be a broodmare in the Earl's breeding operation. The Earl has published a book about her, Ouija Board: A Mare in a Million.
The 19th Earl's Grandmother, Catherine, was a well known racehorse trainer in Wiltshire notably College House, Lambourn, from where she sent out The Schweppes Gold Trophy winner Ra Nova, amongst others.
Controversy
Derby's proposal to build 1,200 houses and a large industrial estate on his greenfield Hatchfield stud farm in Newmarket, Suffolk has met with opposition from local residents, businesses and the area's largest employers, including Tattersalls, the Jockey Club, Newmarket Racecourse, elected councillors, leading trainers and local resident group Save Historic Newmarket.[5]
They argue that the Earl's plan to build up to 1,200 houses and a large industrial estate would deeply undermine efforts to recognise Newmarket as a World Heritage Site, and is unnecessary as the town and surrounding area already have a large surplus of vacant houses.[6] They have also argued that the town is already heavily congested the major increase in traffic from 1,200 new houses and an industrial estate will make it even more difficult for over 2,500 local horses who need to access the town's world-famous exercise grounds each day to do so,[7] and that due to current overcongestion such movements already cause traffic jams for commuters.[6]
Leading horse trainers, owners and breeders have warned that the increased congestion caused by the development will deeply damage their businesses, which provide thousands of high-value jobs in the local area. Some of the largest employers have also warned they may be forced to move their entire operations from the town. Businesses involved in horse racing are by far the largest employers in the local area. A poll in local newspaper the Newmarket Journal found that over 90% were opposed to the Earl's plans.
The Earl has rejected the criticism, stating that only 600 homes would be built by 2021, with the possibility of another 600 by 2030, although there is no such schedule confirmed in the plans. The Earl has also claimed that some of those objecting to the proposal contributed to the original consultation, where they did not raise any objections.
However, no evidence for the claim has been produced and those opposed to his plans strongly dispute that they were ever consulted by the Earl. Responses from local residents to the council's consultation on the plans were almost universally negative, with strong opposition declared in nearly every submission. They also argue that the Earl has not accepted bids from prospective buyers who wish to continue to breed horses on the farm, and instead is seeking planning permission for the 1,200 houses and industrial estate only in order to sell the land at a substantially higher profit.
“ | I believe Newmarket will continue as a hugely successful headquarters of racing. And I would argue that it is far better to have someone who understands racing and its concerns working on this development than someone with no interest at all. | ” |
—William Stanley[6] |
“ | The point of Newmarket is that there is nowhere in the world like it. If you turn it into a big industrial complex you cannot train and breed horses here, and something unique and valuable is gone forever. | ” |
—Rachel Hood[6] |
On 1 February 2010 Newmarket Council rejected the Earl's proposed development,[8] and Derby then applied to The district council for permission. On 2 June, the district councillors unanimously rejected his plans.[9] A later attempt to allow council planning officers to take control of the application was also unanimously rejected by councillors.
Derby then applied for permission to join council planning officers fighting local residents' call for a judicial review of the 'flawed' planning strategy which could have allowed his development. On 25 March 2011, a High Court Judge quashed the entire planning strategy relating to Newmarket. Derby and the planning officers were ordered to pay 90% of local residents' costs and refused permission to appeal.
Derby is now appealing the council's unanimous decision in an attempt to push through the plans.
References
- ^ a b National Thoroughbred Racing Association, 3 December 2007
- ^ "Court Circular". The Times (London). 15 May 2008. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article3941098.ece?token=null&offset=24.
- ^ "Feschuk: Lord Stanley has never seen a hockey game". Toronto: The Star. 3 March 2011. http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/947790--feschuk-lord-stanley-has-never-seen-a-hockey-game. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- ^ Yvonne Demoskoff. "Royal Godchildren (aka Godchildren of Selected Members of the Royal Family)". http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~canyon/godchildren.htm#The%20Queen.
- ^ Racing Post: Save Historic Newmarket staging Tattersalls rally
- ^ a b c d Kelso, Paul (2009-12-18), The Telegraph: Uncivil war shatters Newmarket peace over Lord Derbys housing plans, London: telegraph.co.uk, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/6835582/Uncivil-war-shatters-Newmarket-peace-over-Lord-Derbys-housing-plans.html, retrieved 2010-04-26
- ^ The Telegraph: Henry Cecil warns of housing threat to Newmarket Horse Racing
- ^ Newmarket Council votes against Lord Derby's Hatchfield Farm development plan
- ^ Lord Derby's Hatchfield Farm plans rejected
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Derby
Peerage of England | ||
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Preceded by Edward John Stanley |
Earl of Derby 1994– |
Incumbent Heir: Edward John Robin Stanley, Lord Stanley |