Plans for new M&S Foodhall at busy retail park in Northampton move a step closer – new final decision date set

A long-awaited traffic assessment linked to plans for a new Marks & Spencer food store at Riverside Retail Park has been submitted just days before Christmas.

In May 2024, Riverside Retail Park Ltd submitted plans to open an M&S Foodhall in the former Homebase unit, which has this year been transformed into two modern retail spaces.

However, the plans have hit multiple hurdles in the past 18 months, including concerns from National Highways over flawed traffic modelling, objections from WNC’s highways team about the unassessed impact on the Lumbertubs interchange, and a formal objection from Tesco warning of reduced footfall elsewhere and arguing M&S should have considered the vacant former Sainsbury’s unit in the Grosvenor Centre.

The latest traffic report is a key part of the next step of the application.

Prepared by transport consultants TTP Consulting on behalf of Riverside Retail Park Ltd, the report says the development would be acceptable in traffic terms and would not have a severe impact on surrounding roads.

According to the report summary, Riverside Retail Park has nearly 920 parking spaces, which are free to use for up to four hours. The consultants say the car park is busiest at weekends but that there would still be enough spaces available if the M&S store opens.

“It is anticipated that the proposed food use could result in a demand for up to 79 parking spaces at the weekend,” the report says, adding that this would be partly offset by the loss of demand from the previous non-food use (Homebase).

Traffic surveys were carried out earlier this year during weekday rush hours and on a Saturday afternoon. The report found that queues do form at nearby junctions, particularly around the Lumbertubs Interchange, but they tend to clear quickly.

The Lumbertubs Interchange already operates at or close to capacity at peak times, mainly due to commuter traffic, according to the report. However, it concludes that the additional traffic from the proposed store would not change how the junction operates.

The assessment says the biggest increase in traffic would be on Ferris Row, which is the road leading directly into the retail park, but adds that traffic levels on other roads would be lower as vehicles spread out across the network.

The traffic assessment looked at ways to reduce any impact from extra vehicles, focusing on the Ferris Row approach to the Lumbertubs interchange. One proposed solution, the applicant says, is to install queue detectors, which would extend the green light on nearby signals when traffic builds up. This system is designed to give more drivers a chance to get through, particularly during the evening and Saturday peaks, according to the report.

The modelling shows that the change could allow more cars per hour to clear Ferris Row in the evening and on Saturdays, helping to reduce congestion. While some longer queues are expected on the A45 eastbound slip road and nearby areas, the report says there is enough space to handle them, meaning the overall flow of traffic should remain smooth.

To help manage traffic, the report also says that a MOVA traffic signal system would be introduced at the interchange. MOVA is a type of traffic light control that automatically adjusts the timing of signals based on real-time traffic. The consultants say this would “provide additional capacity for the entire interchange, benefiting both existing and new drivers”.

The report also says that deliveries to the unit would increase if the food store opens, with between two and four deliveries per day expected, compared with several per week previously. However, it says this would not affect the wider road network.

In its conclusion, the report states that the proposals are “considered acceptable in highways and transport terms” and that development should only be refused if the impact on roads would be severe.

The traffic assessment has now been submitted to WNC for consideration as part of the planning application. WNC has set a new target date for a decision on the plans: 27 February 2026. Comments on the proposals are due by 5 January 2026. The decision had previously been expected in October 2024 and then delayed to July 2025.

Work to split the former Homebase unit into two retail spaces began in March 2025, with Wickes recently opening at the neighbouring unit.

Riverside Retail Limited previously said: “The alterations proposed will greatly improve this area of the retail park, transforming a blank part of the terrace with active frontages and new entrances. The works will help to improve the choice and experience for visitors to the park.”

Will Smith, M&S’ property director, said in 2024: “This site in Northampton would make a fantastic location for an M&S Foodhall, creating 70 jobs. The show-stopping store would be one of the most modern in the UK, offering local shoppers a fresh market-style Foodhall with an in-store bakery, flower shop, wine shop, card and wrap shop, M&S’s signature cheese bar, click & collect facilities, and interactive features.”