Long-standing Northampton resident of more than four decades slams ‘unkempt’ area as ‘the forgotten estate’

Tracey has lived in Brickwell Court in Standens Barn since 2005 and she also lived in Drywell Court as a child from 1978 to 1991. She was pleased to see the area well-maintained during this time.

Tracey first spoke to the Chronicle & Echo in September 2024. She was disappointed at the lack of pride people take in Standens Barn, and the lack of action taken by the then-Conservative West Northamptonshire Council when issues were raised.

Now, the 53-year-old resident is banging the drum once again as she believes no improvement has been made over the past year and three months.

“Standens Barn used to be one of the nicer areas of the Eastern district, now it’s like the forgotten area,” Tracey told this newspaper. “I am seriously so fed up with it and I can’t be the only one.”

Tracey believes the issues have worsened over the past five-to-seven years, with fly tipping at what she thinks is an all time high in Standens Barn. Even when fly tips are reported and collected, Tracey says you can “guarantee” that something will be in its place a day or two later.

Another issue she has raised is the lack of grass cutting, which she believes only regularly gets done along the main strip of Standens Barn and the rest of the estate is untouched for long periods of time.

The cracked pavements are one of the biggest concerns for Tracey, who reached out and expressed her distress to Councillor Andrew Kilbridge – a Conservative representative for the Weston Favell and Abington Vale ward.

Having reported the pavement on her street, Brickwell Court, to the Highways team at West Northamptonshire Council, Tracey was not satisfied with the response that the defect does not meet the requirements for repair in October 2025.

“They need to go to Specsavers,” said Tracey. “The tree roots have pushed all the pavement up, and you physically can’t see that it’s three paving slabs across anymore.

“People wanted to live in Standens Barn in the Eastern district and now it feels like we are being left. I pay my council tax and the only thing I see is my bins being collected.”

Tracey says she has had constant contact with West Northamptonshire Council since the pandemic, directly and by sending them photos of problem areas via social media platform X. She is not currently satisfied with the responses and action taken by the local authority.

The long-standing resident would love for someone to visit Standens Barn and inspect the estate, with a view to putting together a regular maintenance programme for the area. “Absolutely nothing has changed and we seem to be the forgotten estate,” Tracey concluded.

‘We are committed to keeping Standens Barn well maintained’

WNC was approached for comment by the Chronicle & Echo and in relation to fly tipping, grass cutting and general maintenance in Standens Barn, a spokesperson issued the following response.

They said: “We believe Standens Barn is generally in good condition. Grass cutting has finished for the season, and we are now carrying out winter maintenance tasks such as trimming bushes and hedges. Recent inspections show these works are being completed to a good standard. We’re also looking at small improvements, such as removing tired shrubs and grassing over certain areas to reduce litter traps and improve the overall appearance.

“Fly tipping on land we’re responsible for is something we take very seriously. Our Neighbourhood Wardens patrol the area and respond promptly to reports. Where robust evidence exists, we take enforcement action. We work closely with Veolia to gather evidence and welcome residents’ support in reporting issues to us. We’re trialling a new approach at the moment to ensure our contractors target areas prone to issues, rather than trying to meet strict deadlines on specific fly tips. The best way for us to tackle this together is for residents to report things to us as soon as they see them, which is really easy to do through the council app. Any help in catching the culprits is also greatly appreciated as we want to try and stop people fly tipping, rather than clearing up after them.”

In relation to the cracked pavements at Brickwell Court, the spokesperson continued: “Our Highways team assessed the reported defect and found it did not meet the criteria for immediate repair at the time. However, we will ask the team to revisit the area to reassess the condition and ensure it remains safe for pedestrians.”

Finally, when asked about the possibility of a regular maintenance programme and plans for the area moving forward, the spokesperson concluded: “We’re always happy to meet with residents to discuss concerns. It’s helpful to have specific issues identified so the right teams can be involved.

“From our perspective, Veolia and Kier are delivering to the agreed specification, but any increase in service would require additional funding. That said, like all areas of West Northamptonshire, we are committed to keeping Standens Barn well maintained and will continue to review opportunities for improvement.”

WNC says the easiest way for residents to report issues is on their website or via the ‘Report It’ app. Residents can also call the local authority on 0300 126 7000.