HUNDREDS of delegates from across the country are due to spend two days at a prestigious conference being held in Newmarket.

The town won the right to stage the Action for Market Towns’ 10th anniversary National Convention in competition with other towns across the country.

The convention, whose speakers will include Alistair Burt, shadow minister for communities and local government will be staged at Tattersalls, the racehorse auctioneers. More than 200 people from other market towns are expected to attend.

It will coincide with a week-long local food festival and delegates will have a celebration dinner using locally-sourced ingredients.

Forest Heath District Council has stepped in to sponsor the convention.

Delegates will hear about plans to create a major tourist attraction to promote the town’s horseracing heritage.

The scheme centres on historic Palace House Stables which have not been used since 1985. Now a trust has been created to see through the Home of Horseracing project.

The convention will be held on September 26 and 27.

Chris Wade, chief executive of the Action for Market Towns organisation, will be looking ahead to what the next 10 years hold for market towns while delegates will also take part in a key debate on whether supermarkets are “killing market towns.”

Posted: 09|17|07 at 3:25 pm. Filed under: UK News.