West Northamptonshire Council says 'unauthorised' works by developer is reason behind delays to reopening of major relief road

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) says works by a developer, which the authority was unaware of, have caused delays to the reopening of a multi-million pound relief road.

Sandy Lane, between Duston and Harpole, has been closed to all motorists since June 2023 while the new Sandy Lane Relief Road is being built.

The new SLRR, which runs parallel to the old Sandy Lane, was supposed to open on April 1… but it is still closed at the time of writing (April 11).

WNC confirmed on (Thursday, April 10) that the road “could soon be open” via a temporary link on to the old Sandy Lane, but did not pinpoint an exact reopening date.

The reason for the temporary link is because the southern section of the road, which would allow the road to join on to the A4500, is nowhere near completion.

The SLRR consists of two stretches:

The southern section that runs north from the A4500 opposite Upton Valley Way North, on land owned by Homes England – partially completed in 2010.

And the northern section that runs south from Roman Road, crossing Sandy Lane, and progressing toward the land owned by Homes England - due to complete in 2024.

For construction of the northern section to take place, Sandy Lane had to close, according to WNC, and parts of it will not reopen to through traffic.

WNC says it continues to meet with Homes England to connect both stretches of the relief road “as quickly as possible” and thereby complete the route.

A WNC spokesman said: “WNC agreed the construction of a temporary link as a potential solution some time ago with developers which has been progressed.

“However, due to other work the council was not aware of, implemented by the developer to respond to resident concerns, we have had to reassess the safety of the temporary link to take this into account.

“We can confirm the safety audit is complete and we now await timescales from the developers to undertake the resulting works prior to opening of the road.

"We anticipate that a permanent link will be opened between Sandy Lane Relief Road and Sandy Lane by early summer. This is already under construction and once complete would allow the temporary link to be closed.”

It is believed the works the council cites as the reason for delays is a dangerous driveway.

Councillor Phil Larratt, the man in charge of the roads at WNC, also blamed the developers for carrying out “unauthorised works”.

Councillor Larratt said: “We’re conscious that this work has caused lots of frustration and disruption and we have sympathy for everyone affected.

“We’ve been working as hard as we can to try and provide a temporary solution, to get the road open or at least partially open, but unauthorised work by the developers has made this difficult to achieve.

“We’re continuing to work with the developer as we would like to see the road open as quickly as possible, but of course it must be safe for residents and road users alike.

“We know there are businesses that have been affected by the works and we are confident that once everything is complete, they will see significant benefits. We are sorry that this has been so long in coming.”

Councillor Adam Brown, deputy leader of the council, and whose ward this issue lies in, added: “While it is right that safety comes above anything else in these matters, I share the huge frustration that will be felt by residents at the news of this further delay. Both Harpole and Duston have endured relentless pressure from increased traffic, and in the case of Harpole the presence of HGVs despite weight restrictions is a particular concern.

"I will continue to support residents and Harpole Parish Council in keeping up the pressure on developers, Homes England and the relevant officers at WNC to conclude these unwanted and unsustainable temporary arrangements as quickly as possible. The only viable solution is the completion of the whole Sandy Lane Relief Road down to the A4500 and I will push as hard as possible to achieve that in the shortest possible timeframe."

The developers have been contacted for comment.