Borough raises no objection to massive 1,050 homes plan and park and ride scheme north of the town

Ensign Group Limited wants to build 1,050 homes on land at Brampton Lane, Boughton, complete with a residential care home, a park and ride facility with 500 spaces and a primary school.

While the scheme won outline approval to proceed with the scheme six years ago, the developers have only recently decided to submit further environmental reports needed to get the full go ahead.

The full proposals are finally due to be decided by Daventry District Council in the coming weeks and Northampton Borough Council, as a key consultee, has decided to raise no objections to the Buckton Fields plans.

Labour group leader, Councillor Danielle Stone (Lab, Castle) said the shear number of housing developments on Northampton's borders is starting to look unfair.

He said: “Both Daventry District Council and South Northants District Council are placing many large developments on the border with Northampton and it is beginning to look very unfair. I understand the need for more housing as demand is completely outstripping supply.

"The problem is that South Northants and Daventry have deliberately limited housing developments in their numerous picturesque villages. This means that they then place large scale housing developments on the border with our town. I think Northampton residents would be much less critical if South Northants and Daventry evenly spread their large housing developments across their whole area. Placing large-scale housing on the border means Daventry and South Northants get all the additional Council Tax revenue but Northampton gets the problems like traffic congestion.

"You have to conclude that the West Northants Joint Core Strategy has not worked out in our favour as together South Northants and Daventry seem to have taken us for a ride."

The last Conservative Manifesto at the last Borough election said it will remain opposed to neighbouring authorities imposing housing developments around the town. Two months ago no objections were raised to a housing development of 110 dwellings on land near the Newport Pagnell Road. We now hear there will no objection from Northampton Borough Council for 1050 houses on land at Brampton Lane, Boughton.”

However, the authority has asked that "further information is sought regarding air quality" and states the development "should provide a definitive way of mitigating the impact on Harborough Road".

Papers before Northampton Borough Council's planning board, due to be debated next week, show that Ensign Group has now agreed to contribute a chunk of funding to the controversial North-West Relief Road scheme, which many residents in Kingsthorpe and Boughton believe will deposit even more traffic on the Welford Road by the Windhover pub.

Northampton Borough Council planners have urged Ensign Group to "seek financial contributions to a bus service provision to the site" and incentives for people to use the park and ride that will come as part of the plans.

Since the outline plans were passed, developers have already commenced building at Buckton Fields.

The park and ride scheme would be connected to the Welford Road, an illustrative marterplan submitted with the proposals states.

The proposals will be discussed at the Northampton Borough Council planning committee next Tuesday, November 22, at 5.30pm.