MP Fears Race Course Could Be Used for Thousands of Homes

Published on: 18 Jun, 2026
Updated on: 18 Jun, 2026

Kempton Park Race Course

By James Moules

A Surrey MP’s petition opposing the development of new homes at Kempton Park Racecourse has hit 2,000 signatures.

Lincoln Jopp MP

Spelthorne MP Lincoln Jopp (Con) has claimed developers are preparing to submit a planning application to put up thousands of new homes at the racecourse site in Sunbury-on-Thames.

Proposals to build homes on the racecourse were first put forward in 2017, and campaigners fear a fresh push for developing the site could come this year.

Jopp told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I love my horse racing, as do so many people in Spelthorne and, indeed, around the country.

“Kempton Park is an iconic racecourse. If you want housing in Spelthorne, I’ve got plenty of other places to choose from which don’t mean destroying an iconic racecourse.”

He also took his petition to Shepperton Fair on June 13, where the number of signatures jumped from 1,400 to 2,081.

Kempton Park is subject to an option agreement that was signed in 2018, which gives developer Redrow the right to buy the racecourse if planning permission is obtained.

This agreement remains in place, and is due to expire in 2028. However, no planning application has yet been submitted and The Jockey Club says its focus remains on racing.

A spokesperson 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 next year and into the future.”

But the Spelthorne MP claims developers are preparing an application that would “destroy the racecourse” and see more than 2,000 homes built on the site.

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 [site] and valued by the local community as a vital green buffer.”

A spokesperson for 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 in Surrey.

“We will share further updates in due course.”