'Objectors urgently need to contact Northampton Borough Council over 3,000-home estate'

Time is almost up for anyone wanting to have their say on plan for a huge new estate in Northampton.
Gareth Eales is warning residents who want to comment that they have only hours in which to do soGareth Eales is warning residents who want to comment that they have only hours in which to do so
Gareth Eales is warning residents who want to comment that they have only hours in which to do so

Dallington Grange, which would be built on land between Lodge Farm Industrial Estate and the railway line, is recommended by planning officers for approval.

And with the meeting to decide whether the scheme is approved scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, residents against the plan have only hours to make their voices heard.

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Councillor Gareth Eales (Lab, Spencer) said: "This has been put rather hastily before a special committee.

"Terrie [Councillor Terrie Eales, his wife] was only informed about this a week ago by email. People will have been expecting another consultation but they won't get it.

"Perhaps the council was hoping there would be no groundswell of opposition. I can tell them, that won't be the case."

Councillor Eales has posted a video on his Facebook page urging residents to give their opinion on the application You can do so by cutting and pasting the following into your address bar: planning.northamptonboroughcouncil.com/planning/search-applications#VIEW?RefType=PBDC&KeyNo=11353 or by emailing: [email protected]).

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The borough council said residents have already had several chances to comment on Dallington Grange, including a public consultation in April 2018

A spokeswoman added that the reason for the special planning committee - rather than waiting for a general planning meeting - was that the plan was complex.

She said: "“This application involves a large number of technical matters that members will need to consider in some detail.

"As a consequence, it will be determined by a special planning committee to ensure that all matters are considered in appropriate depth.”

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Among several reasons why Councillor Eales believes councillors should reject the plan is the lack of 'Section 106' money for people living in nearby Kings Heath and Ryehill.

Councillor Eales said he would like to see the developer, Persimmon Homes, pledge a pot of funding for each estate, to be spent on local schemes.

He said: "Residents who live in theses estates will bear the brunt of the impact of these new 3,000 homes, and yet there is not one penny being offered to these areas thus to give at least some benefit. That is simply unacceptable.

"If this development is to go forward, it must be a development that works for everyone.

"I do not think a multi-million pound profit development should impact on the lives of neighbouring residents without at least some investment into these current estates. It's called fairness."