The development of Grange Park was carefully supervised by a group comprising elected councillors, developers, landowners and specialist advisers.

They sat monthly throughout its development.

Their aim was to create a balanced community of about 1,000 dwellings with business, commercial and community facilities close by to provide employment and leisure facilities.

These were to be backed up by education and social services applicable to a community of that size.

The plans were partly overtaken by changes in Government policy regarding densities of development that led to almost 1,500 units being built on land originally set aside for 1,000 dwellings. This in itself put much more pressure than planned on the community and social facilities.

The addition of a further 450 dwellings is completely irresponsible.

It takes up land originally planned for business use and, therefore, compounds the problems by further taking away the balance between houses and employment.

The introduction of the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation as planning authority has destroyed the concept of Grange Park.

It is an unelected quango that has no regard for the future residents of the new community.

It is in the business of forcing in excess of 20,000 dwellings on Northampton, and, consequently, will continue to make decisions based on where it can lever these dwelling into whatever space is available.

It has no regard for the impact on the existing community or whether the infrastructure is capable of withstanding the extra pressure placed upon it.

It was put in place by the Government to do this to Northampton.

The Grange Park incident merely highlights what will happen elsewhere in the town unless it is quickly wound up.

Perhaps the current economic slowdown is a chance to review its worth in this community.

Now that Brian Binley has been alerted to their danger at a personal level, he might be in a good position to avert the long-term disaster awaiting Northampton in the near future. All power to his elbow!
John Curtis,
Great Lane, Bugbrooke.

Look for new job
WNDC members are yesterday's men. When will they admit that it's all over? The building boom has burst and pop goes the weasel.

These men dreamt of thousands of houses and builders were egged on by a Government dedicated to affordable houses, roads across floodplains and traffic jams as far as the eye can see.

Wakey, wakey, it's time to go and look for another job.

Keith Barwell is leaving quietly. Perhaps he is doing the right thing.
J C Goodall,
Lower Thrift Street, Northampton.

We need more M-way junctions
An open letter to Councillor Bob Seery, Northamptonshire County Council:
The new initiatives to get Northampton to work are proceeding apace.

What is now needed is to stand back and review the situation.

A new motorway junction 15B is required to the north of Pineham on the southbound carriageway of the M1 as an exit only for lorries destined for the warehousing developments.

This would ease pressure on junction 15A for traffic coming into Northampton or taking the A43 to link with the M40, which has only a one lane exit, and reduce queuing on the motorway itself.

Martin Emberson of Northamptonshire Fire Service states the response times are under pressure due to regional development.

There is a wedge shaped plot of ground close to M1 junction 15 on the west-bound approach on the A45, presently available for re-development. This could be used for a multi-emergency centre and house fire,

ambulance, police and highway agency vehicles and personnel.

The whole of the county stretch of the M1 could be reached in minutes from this new road-side centre.

Another new motorway junction is required to better serve Daventry.

Industrial sites are still growing, attracting more lorry traffic.

Whether this be based at Watford Gap, or near Whilton on the M1, or by Kilsby on the M45, I would be happy for the civil engineers to decide.

Just a few thoughts to help solve some of our county's traffic problems.
Mike Barlow,
Dryden Avenue, Daventry.

Thanks for care
On behalf of the Finlay family, may I thank all departments involved at Northampton General Hospital for their professionalism and kindness shown to our mother during the last few weeks of her life.

Special thanks to all on Rowan Ward for their care and support to us all during a difficult time.
David Finlay,
Weedon Road, Northampton.

£4.20 parking fees in a day
I have just made my last trip to Northampton town centre.

After negotiating the traffic cones, I arrived at a near-deserted St Peter's car park.

I paid 80p to go to Argos and they hadn't got what I wanted.

I then needed to collect an item for my disabled son at Northampton General Hospital, another £2.20 to park.

I then travelled to The Riding car park, £1.20 just to pop into M&S which didn't have the food I wanted.

Not only has Northampton gone down the pan but also the stores. I travelled nearly 40 miles and paid £4.20 in parking fees, and with the price of petrol on a pension it would be cheaper to go elsewhere.
Mrs S Jameson,
Brookside, Weedon.

Traffic hotspots
Just what is the problem with our local council? Despite being assured on several occasions that the recycling and rubbish collections will avoid traffic hotspots in the morning when people are on their way to work, they carry on regardless (Booth Lane and Moulton Park for example).

Not only that but when I phoned to complain I was greeted with "I can't see the problem".
Rob Malton,
Abington, Northampton.

Greedy pickers
The county council's new "Strawberry" theme ties in neatly with the £320,000 spend on meetings and conferences along with the fact that the former chief executive, Peter Gould was paid more than the Prime Minister.

An article in the Daily Telegraph (June 20) was headlined: Greedy pickers threat to strawberry fields.

In the article, one of the farmers affected – appropriately in Northamptonshire – was quoted as saying: "It is as if the public read 'something for nothing' ". I wonder how this could be related!
James Thurston,
Eton Close, Weedon.