A major race horse breeding business has won a planning fight to build five new homes for essential staff at historic racing hub Whitsbury near Fordingbridge. T Bennett, an inspector appointed by the secretary of state, allowed the appeal made by Whitsbury Manor Stud against the refusal of New Forest District Council. Key issues had been the principle of new development of workers’ dwellings in the countryside, whether need could be met by existing dwellings in the area, and the effect on the Cranborne Chase National Landscape. Although the policy concerning workers’ homes related principally to agriculture or forestry, the council had recognised that equestrian operations could be treated the same. The inspector heard Whitsbury Stud was a highly specialised enterprise breeding and raising high performance racehorses.