02/09/2025
Bromford Flagship seeks council approval for community consultation on flexible Rowley Drive vision
A community hub and new park is at the heart of the Rowley Drive draft masterplan. Image: Bromford Flagship/Levitt Bernstein
Bromford Flagship is currently seeking approval from West Suffolk Council to go out to consultation on a draft masterplan to regenerate the Rowley Drive area of the town.
The draft Rowley Drive masterplan has been shaped over several years, following extensive consultation with residents, local schools, West Suffolk Council and the Jockey Club.
The draft masterplan sets out high-level key principles of what change could look like for the area – and this could involve rebuilding existing apartment blocks and creating better green spaces, safer streets and up to 400 new homes.
But this is very much a flexible, visionary document. What actually happens will be shaped by what the community wants. The masterplan sets out possibilities, not certainties, and residents will help shape what comes next.
This isn't even an initial planning application - that would follow at the earliest next year, and only if the community supports moving forward.
If West Suffolk Council give approval for Bromford Flagship to go out to consultation, then there will be a series of exhibition events held with residents of the Rowley Drive area, before several public exhibitions where the wider community can see the draft masterplan, ask questions and share their views. Dates for these events will be circulated if the council’s permission is given.
An image of how Rowley Drive could look, according to Bromford Flagship's draft masterplan for the area (credit: Bromford Flagship/ Levitt Bernstein)
Dave Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer at Bromford Flagship, said: “The current neighbourhood was designed in a different era, and it no longer works for the people who live there. Residents have been clear: they want something better, and they want to be involved in shaping it. This vision has grown out of their feedback and ideas.”
The area includes Icewell Hill, Churchill Court and Regents Court, as well as homes on Rowley Drive, St Mary’s Square and Exning Road. Many of the homes in these areas are managed by Bromford Flagship’s housing association, Samphire Homes.
The masterplan looks to tackle longstanding issues that residents have raised, including anti-social behaviour and poor lighting. It hopes to bring a number of environmental benefits such as nature-friendly landscaping, new trees and a focus on sustainability. Any new homes would be built to high energy standards, cutting costs for residents.
Mr Armstrong said: “We want to create a place where people feel safe and supported. We’re aiming to bring the community back into the centre of the neighbourhood and enable people to thrive.
“We want to create warm, affordable, well-designed homes in a place that feels part of the town, not cut off from it.”
If the masterplan is formally adopted, Bromford Flagship would work with residents to develop detailed planning applications for the area. At this stage, the masterplan is a visionary document which would help to inform those future plans.
There is the potential that those plans could include replacing existing homes with energy-efficient ones that blend in with Newmarket's skyline and character. The steep hillside at Icewell Hill could allow parking to be moved underground, making the area feel greener and less dominated by cars.
As well as new homes, the masterplan has an ambition to improve play areas for all ages, create safer walking routes, a community hub, and better access to nature.
Any future designs will respect the town’s horse-racing heritage and there could be improvements made to existing routes for horses and riders along Rowley Drive.
Background: the story so far
The estates around Rowley Drive were built in the 1950s and 1960s to meet a growing need for housing after the Second World War. Icewell Hill, Churchill Court and the surrounding blocks replaced older buildings and streets, many with royal and local historical ties - including an ice well once used to store food for Palace House.
At the time, these new homes reflected a bold vision for modern living. They brought much-needed space, green areas, and a sense of renewal to the town. But over the years, the way people live has changed. Some of the original layouts and features now feel out of step with modern life, making it harder for the neighbourhood to thrive in the way it once did.
Since 2021, Bromford Flagship has worked closely with residents to explore what could come next. Through workshops, surveys and community events, local people have helped shape a new vision for the area - one that builds on its history while looking firmly to the future. The Rowley Drive masterplan is the result of that work: a shared plan to create a place where homes, streets and green spaces support a strong, safe and welcoming community.