Plans revealed for new homes
The most detailed plans ever published for the possible expansion of Northampton have been revealed.
Pages of documents showing where houses could be built in hundreds of streets and villages around Northampton, Daventry and Towcester have been published for the first time by the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (JPU).
The proposals are so detailed they break the three towns into almost 900 separate areas, with numerous streets highlighted as possible targets for developers looking to build more than 48,000 houses between now and 2026.
The JPU has been keen to point out the publication of the documents does not mean any of the sites identified will certainly see development in the future.
But anti-expansion campaigners have accused the organisation of trying to sneak the plans under the radar to avoid negative responses from residents.
Roger Kingston, from campaign group The Northants Residents' Alliance, said: "This just looks to me like an open invitation for developers.
"And it just feels like the whole thing has been going on behind our backs.
"The last time they revealed plans like this, we all told them we didn't want them, but they're just carrying on as if nothing has happened."
The campaign group has also criticised the JPU for making the proposal documents difficult to find on its website.
Mr Kingston said: "Their website is pretty poor as it is, but to find these plans you have to know what you're looking for in the first place then keep on searching even further. It's doing anything but showing the big picture.
"But I would encourage everyone to go to the site and let the JPU know their views."
The Government has said it wants to see 62,125 new houses built in west Northamptonshire between 2001 and 2026.
So far, just under 14,000 of the houses have been built, leaving the JPU needing to find space for the remaining 48,000.
As part of its work, the JPU has looked at 885 separate sites spread out across Northampton, Daventry and Towcester.
Of those sites, more than 300 have been classed as "suitable for development" by the JPU while a further 281 have been classed as having 'potential'.
Click here to go to the website and see the development plans will affect you. But the new manager of the JPU, David Atkinson, insisted the documents should only be seen as a starting point, not a list of finished development plans.
He said: "We want people to know this is not the final plan for development and we're not trying to do anything through the back door.
"At the moment this is purely a research exercise."
He also encouraged people to look at the plans on the group's websites and give reasons for or against certain development sites.
He said: "Our aim is to be purely objective, to look at these sites and address the technical evidence that either supports or does not support development."
While the group has said it will not consider simple objections to development at this stage, it has asked residents to raise concerns about such things as sites which could have archaeological or environmental importance.
The development proposals were put together after the JPU spoke to landowners across Northampton, Daventry and Towcester at the beginning of 2008 to see what development ideas they had.
Members of the public have until February 11 to comment on the plans. After the consultation deadline has passed, the JPU will then take people's comments on board before publishing another list of possible development areas later in the year. Mr Atkinson said: "We really do hope people will come forward, because we need all the information we can get to make sure we follow the proper planning process."
To look at the plans visit the website www. westnorthamptonshirejpu.org or visit Northampton Borough Council's offices at Cliftonville, Daventry District Council's headquarters or the headquarters of South Northamptonshire Council.
By Wayne Bontoft
Chief reporter
wayne.bontoft@northantsnews.co.uk
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