SportHorse racingKing George VILocal MP Lincoln Jopp said the site where the legendary Desert Orchid’s ashes are buried was reason enough to protest it from development18:04, 07 Jul 2026Kempton Park could be saved from the bulldozers if it can achieve heritage site status, according to the local MP.‌The home of the King George VI Chase has been under threat of closure since the Jockey Club announced plans to sell the land for housing in 2017. Although that project was shelved, an agreement was struck with Barratt Redrow which allowed the building firm the option to take over the site in the future and develop the land.‌Last week MP Lincoln Jopp told residents that Barratt Redrow would move ahead with those plans before the end of the year, only for the builder to declare it would not happen this year but it was continuing to consult with the local council.‌Jopp ensured the topic was on the agenda on Tuesday after securing a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday on "the Future of British Horseracing", attended by a number of MPs, trainer Nicky Henderson and a representative of the Government..Jopp, Conservative MP for Spelthorne said: “I was delighted with the amount of support that we saw in the House of Commons today from across parties and from all parts of the United Kingdom and I was particularly pleased with the minister's comments in her response to the debate.‌“I look forward to going away and examining those in great detail and for the follow-up meetings that she's promised with various other ministers in order to understand the regulatory landscape into which Barratt Redrow would be plunging themselves.”He added: “My suspicion is that they will wait until Spelthorne Borough Council ceases to exist next year when it is subsumed into West Surrey and South Middlesex, which means that there will be less of a local voice which could object to this.Article continues below“I'm going to go away and look at what the minister said in greater detail, particularly about it becoming a heritage site. I think the fact that Desert Orchid’s ashes are buried there is reason alone to protect the space.“It's a fantastic race course and I have been utterly blown away by the amount of depth and breadth of support I've received both in the community but most astoundingly from all across the region.“I’ve had a constant procession of emails and phone calls from the most distinguished names in racing. I think I referred to them in the debate as racing royalty and I'm thoroughly delighted with that. Let's see where racing takes this discussion itself.”Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌King George VINicky HendersonHouse of CommonsJockey Club Inc.Politics