Private cul-de-sac plan in Northampton could 'greatly affect the safety' of busy road users

Northampton North MP Michael Ellis has also called for the bid to build five homes off Mill Lane, Kingsthorpe, to be rejected as he believes it is "unsuitable for development."

The plan, by BSH Projects Ltd, has garnered 23 objections with many believing those exiting the houses could pose a danger to schoolchildren who walk alongside the main road.

However planning officers at Northampton Borough Council have recommended the scheme for approval.

A report set to go to the planning committee, next Tuesday (February 14), states: "The proposed development would contribute towards the Borough's five-year housing supply and would cause less than substantial harm to the setting of Kingsthorpe Conservation Area."

The report also states that some of the some of the residents have appointed "professional assistance to represent them and assess the planning merits of the proposal."

Kate Rodgers of Fremeaux Terrace, Kingsthorpe Village, is one of the objectors.

In a letter to the council, she said: "This development would greatly affect the safety of people using Mill Lane, whether they are pedestrians, cyclists or driving vehicles.

"The issue of safety has been raised in previous applications along Mill Lane and continues to be a concern."

David Linnell, of nearby Kingsmoor House says that, if the development goes ahead, there will be a "significant loss of the Brampton Valley Arm land," on which it sits.

The site is currently classed as "grazing land" for horses and the development would require a gap to be made in the historic stone wall along Mill Lane to allow for vehicle access.

But a design and access statement submitted by planners Atchison Raffety, states the plan will be an acceptable use of green land.

The statement reads: "Even if a view is reached that there are some negative components of the scheme, the harm falls considerably short of being significant and demonstrable."