Northampton resident's group want assurances on orbital road before more houses are built at Buckton Fields

Whitehills & Spring Park Residents Association (WASPRA) has been calling for a bypass to relieve the super-congested Harborough Road for years.

But the massive project, expected to cost around £150 million, has been beset by delays.

A consultation over the route it should take was launched in February, though it is generally acknowledged the road would effectively join the A428 and the A43.

But papers released last month show the consultation presented “insufficient evidence” to allow the council to pick a preferred route.

Today, WASPRA will put a motion to the county council calling for it to put firm orbital road plans in place before any more of the Buckton Fields land is sold to housing developers.

Chairman Patrick Cross said the group was frustrated by the lack of progress.

“As a residents association, we believe in “i” before “e”, that is infrastructure before expansion,” he said.

“We know that there is a shortage of houses, but wholesale building of houses before infrastructure services are operational - such as adequate roads, schools and healthcare facilities - is short-termism and has a negative impact on quality of life.”

The motion will be debated as part of the full council meeting at County Hall today.

Following last week’s report in the Chronicle & Echo about the number of fatalities on Boughton Lane, Mr Cross also believes an orbital route would reduce the amount of car crashes on similar “rat- runs.”

Eventually, around 1,000 homes will be built at Buckton Fields in the Whitehills area, in stages.

Developers Bloor Homes and Martin grant Homes have already started work on there, but opponents believe the sheer volume of houses will create chaos on the congested A508, unless the orbital road is built.