Newmarket Jockey Club Estates is hoping to turn its stable waste into fuel to heat nearby schools and businesses and to create fertiliser.

It has joined forces with GG Eco Solutions to submit a planning application to install a recycling facility which will be the first of its kind in the UK.

The plant will convert stable waste into biomass fuel to heat nearby schools and businesses, and fertiliser for use on nearby gallops, studs and farmland.

GG Eco Solutions want to install the facility on Jockey Club Estates land at Southfield Farm, off Hamilton Road, Newmarket.

Jockey Club Estates has been trying to find a more sustainable solution to the problem of stable waste from Newmarket’s 80 training yards for a number of years. Together, they produce 25,000 tonnes of waste a year.

Jockey Club Estates managing director William Gittus said: “The existing disposal system is undoubtedly efficient but it is costly and produces significant lorry movements throughout the town. By working with GG Eco Solutions I hope that a viable, more environmentally friendly solution has been found to the problem. So far the scheme has attracted a lot of interest from the town’s trainers and equine businesses.”

Greg Hilton, managing director of GG Eco Solutions, said: “As a company at the forefront of renewable energy and waste management technology, we are excited to be working with Jockey Club Estates in Newmarket, the home of horseracing in the UK.

“Our unique system turns stable waste into a valuable resource which benefits both the environment and the horseracing industry.”

The planning application is for a facility which can process 5,000 tonnes of manure a year. Once the project is fully operational, GG Eco Solutions and Jockey Club Estates hope the business will grow, both in Newmarket and elsewhere in the country.

“The training industry is very tough at the moment and over time we hope this project will reduce waste disposal costs, enabling training businesses to remain viable,” said Mr Gittus.

If all goes to plan, the plant should be in operation before next autumn