An asphalt factory in Membury will go ahead after a planning appeal was allowed, and West Berkshire Council now faces a six-figure bill to cover the costs.
The Lambourn racing industry lobbied hard to block the plan, saying fumes could affect the respiratory tracts and performance of racehorses, but a planning inspector granted the appeal.
Developer Mark Drake said: "This has been an ongoing battle for the last five years, costing the taxpayers a ridiculous amount of money unnecessarily. We are delighted we can now move forward; this should never have taken so much time and racked up these huge costs." He says the cost of the appeal will be a six-figure sum, to be picked up by the council.
Mr Drake added: "We had huge support from many people, including the racehorse industry, contrary to what people may think, however there are a handful of people who are against the approval who could have saved a lot of taxpayers' time and money if they had taken the time to read the in depth reports which we supplied. In the inspector's report, he states that the racehorse industry supplied no data that the plant could cause harm to horses. We are happy that the inspector has sided with jobs, not snobs!"
Objectors from Lambourn training yards warned the lifeblood of the industry, which brings in £22m a year to the district, would be threatened even by a "whiff" of poor air quality affecting top-level racehorses.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
