'Gagging' order will not stop marchers say campaigners
Angry parish councillors claim they are being 'gagged' by legal officials who have advised them not to take part in an anti-expansion protest march.
Members of the Quinton Action Group are planning to hold a march through the middle of Northampton next week to highlight concerns about plans which suggest more than 40,000 new houses could be built around the edges of Northampton, Daventry and Towcester.
But members of parish councils in the area have been sent an email from the Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils (NCALC), which provides legal advice to authorities, warning them about the dangers of being involved in "direct action". The chairman of Ecton Parish Council, Chris Petrie, was among those who received the email.
He said: "This is such a big issue and I just think it's wrong that we should be told we can't march.
"It seems over the top to me and I'll be going on the march. I don't see how they can stop me, the whole thing's a joke.
"This is a very big issue and I think people expect members of their parish council to represent the community."
But NCALC's principal officer, Danny Moody, who sent the email to councillors, insisted it was advice aimed at making sure they were not seen to have "prejudged" the plans, rather than a "ban".
He said: "This is simply advice and guidance, we're not stopping anybody doing anything they don't want to do.
"If councillors want to declare their positions that's fine, but then they have to be aware of the implications."
The protest march will start at Becket's Park in Northampton, at 4.30pm on Tuesday, and lead to the Bedford Road headquarters of the group which came up with proposals, the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (JPU).
Members of the Quinton action group said the frustration felt by parish councillors was the same for many residents.
A spokesman for the organisation said: "This whole thing has been designed to be railroaded through, that's why people are so furious."
The march, on September 29, will include tractors being driven through Northampton town centre.
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