Major objections to 111 homes plan
Serious concerns have been raised about plans to build more than 100 new homes on a piece of land next to one of Northampton's busiest roundabouts.
Housing association officials have been working on a scheme to build a mixture of 111 flats and houses on land at the end of Booth Rise in Boothville for the past six years.
But residents packed into the Guildhall this week to warn members of Northampton Borough Council's planning committee the development was not acceptable.
Concerns raised by members of the public included the impact the development would have on traffic and pollution as well as the loss of the green site the homes would be built on. Speaking on behalf of residents, Councillor David Garlick (Lib Dem, Headlands) said: "We need to work hard to protect our green spaces, it would be far too easy to see them dwindle away in the rush for new homes."
Concerns were also expressed that the 34 new flats and 79 houses would all be either put up for rent or sold on shared ownership schemes.
But Keith Colley, from developers Genesis Homes, said such properties were desperately needed.
He said: "People would have to get a mortgage for seven times their income to buy a house in this area, which is clearly impossible for most."
After hearing the arguments, planning committee members, including Councillor Jenny Conroy (Lib Dem, St James), expressed serious concern about the impact the development would have on the area.
She said: "We need to protect our green space. We do need more affordable houses, but we need to look where we're building them. There can perhaps be some development here, but we do need to save some green space."
Only Councillor Tony Woods (Lib Dem, St Davids) said he thought the plans as they stood were acceptable, adding: "It's not an ideal place for development, but it could be worse. Is it the right place to put 111 homes? - probably. It's closer to the town centre than much of the eastern district and I think it's acceptable."
Despite his words, the council committee voted to express strong objections to the development to the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation, which will make a final decision on the scheme later in the year.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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