Northampton residents send warning message to developers planning to build a McDonald's and a solar farm on a floodplain: 'It floods'

In September, developers at The Pegasus Group proposed plans to build on a flood plain just off Welford Road in Kingsthorpe.

The proposed development 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. However, official plans have not yet been submitted to West Northamptonshire Council.

After recent heavy flooding in Northampton caused by Storm Bert, Kingsthorpe residents have shared pictures online of the floodplain "looking like a lake," questioning how any development could proceed on the land.

One resident said: “Well, we locals knew this would happen as it always floods — it is a FLOODPLAIN.”

According to some Kingsthorpe residents, a representative from Pegasus who visited the site allegedly claimed that "it would no longer flood."

Kingsthorpe Conservative Councillor Sam Rumens has spoken out, saying: “We know in Kingsthorpe, as well as anywhere, that taking on additional development is a necessary cost of dealing with a growing population.

“We have had years of growth without the proper infrastructure following. Partially as a result, the area has become much more prone to flooding.

“Now, plans have come forward to build directly on a flood plain—a flood plain that has recently looked like a lake.

“This seems to be a huge risk for the local area. Initial thoughts from local experts suggest any development at this site will make the situation even worse, pushing water down towards Spencer and the Town Centre.

“We need a long-term strategy to provide the infrastructure to support the current size of the town, let alone any future expansion.

“And it seems some of that infrastructure will need to include significantly improved flood defences.”

The Pegasus Group has not yet responded to this newspaper’s request for comment.

In a letter to residents, the Pegasus Group stated that the solar farm would include "mitigation measures such as acoustic fencing and a landscape enhancement scheme," while the roadside facility would also "comprise a landscape enhancement scheme."