Residents 'universally object' to shock solar farm and McDonald's plans for busy part of Northampton
Plans to build a huge new solar farm in a busy part of Northampton have been ‘universally objected’ to by residents.
Kingsthorpe residents attended a last-minute meeting on Friday (September 6) to discuss a proposed new development on land off Welford Road next to The Windhover pub.
The proposed development, by The Pegasus Group, would include a solar farm with a capacity of up to 5MW and a roadside facility featuring an EV charging station, a retail unit, and two drive-thru restaurants, reportedly earmarked for a McDonald’s and Starbucks.
According to a letter from the Pegasus Group to residents, the solar farm will include "mitigation measures such as acoustic fencing and a landscape enhancement scheme," while the roadside facility will also "comprise a landscape enhancement scheme."
Official plans have not yet been submitted to West Northamptonshire Council. For those unable to attend the meeting, feedback and questions can still be submitted via email to [email protected] before the deadline on September 13.
The Pegasus Group has not yet responded to this newspaper’s request for comment.
Conservative councillor Sam Rumens (Kingsthorpe North) said: "I am aware of the letter regarding the possible development by The Windhover. I have had no formal notification. Thanks to those that told me. It looks like the developers want to see what people think. When I have any further information I will share."
Samuel Benjamin Kilby-Shaw, a resident who attended the presentation, said: "Respect is due to the gentleman giving it for being resilient in the face of, as far as I could tell, universal objection. To avoid doubt, there is no planning application (yet); this is a pre-consultation consultation which was fairly well attended given the short notice. When the plans are submitted to West Northants Council, we will have a better idea of exactly what will be being built. The solar panels are going to be on stilts and are designed so that they can be flooded and not be damaged, and the roadside facility will be raised to the level of the causeway (which has previously flooded) to avoid the possibility of being flooded. As far as I could gather, it is for a Starbucks and McDonald's. I have my doubts about the whole thing but I will wait for the full application."
Another resident expressed concerns, stating: "As I said in an earlier post, this is cynical gamesmanship by planning 'experts' to work the system. Minimum notice, people consulted, and timeframe to raise objections. Reassuring so many turned out to voice their objections. Restaurants threaten local business in Kingsthorpe, a solar farm doesn't benefit any resident of Kingsthorpe, and covering wetlands and a nature reserve with solar panels certainly benefits no one. I will await the formal plans but nothing about this benefits residents."
Elsewhere in the area, the North West Relief Road (NWRR) is being developed in the area. Persimmon Homes started work in July to complete the final phase of the NWRR, which runs through parts of Harlestone Firs and onto York Road. The road, part of the planning permission for 3,000 new homes in the area, is expected to open by late summer 2025.