Furious residents demand halt to plans to build access road serving 100 new homes in Northampton

Residents living in Conway Close, Kings Heath, say the narrow road is not suitable for the extra traffic expected from the Harlestone Grange development, which will see up to 3,000 homes built once complete.

The developers say the access road will serve up to 100 homes in a future phase of the wider estate, which has previously been described as a ‘ghetto’ of affordable houses.

Residents have accused West Northamptonshire Council of hiding behind old planning decisions rather than reviewing the safety of the road.

In a statement, they said: “The community has expressed deep anger after receiving a rigid response from West Northamptonshire Council’s highway authority.

“Conway Close features narrow road widths, restricted turning circles, and severe blind spots. It is entirely unfit to handle an influx of heavy residential traffic or massive construction vehicles.

"We feel the council is hiding behind legacy paperwork from 2014 while ignoring the real-world physical dangers they are creating for families, children, and elderly residents on the ground today.

"Forcing this traffic through our road ignores physical realities like blind spots and narrow widths. We aren't just numbers on a legacy planning file – we are a living community, and our safety shouldn't be compromised for bureaucratic convenience.

“We refuse to back down. We have formally requested that Northampton North MP Lucy Rigby step in to demand a strict ban on construction vehicles using Conway Close, pressure the council for severe traffic calming measures, and convene an urgent on-site multi-agency meeting to force the local authority and developers, Persimmon Homes, to face the people directly .

“We are urging the council to stop hiding behind legacy legal agreements and look at the real-world danger they are creating on the ground.”

In response, Reform councillor Thomas Manning, cabinet member for planning, said: “While we understand the concerns being raised by resident, the council is bound by the relevant planning legislation, particularly the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and has to act within the planning permission already granted for the development.

“The Conway Close access forms part of that approved permission and has subsequently been through the detailed highways design and technical approval process. However, if evidence of a specific highway safety issue emerges, we will consider this through our normal highway responsibilities.”

Labour MP Lucy Rigby said she shares residents’ views, particularly the issues around road safety and the impact of additional traffic.

Ms Rigby said: “I raised the concerns directly with West Northamptonshire Council on residents' behalf. The response I’ve received from WNC is unfortunately inadequate – I want to see residents’ concerns taken much more seriously.

“I'm now looking to bring together residents, the council and the developer to discuss what practical steps can be taken to address these concerns, particularly around traffic management and road safety.”

Persimmon has been contacted for comment.

Plans for the access route were approved as part of an outline planning application for the wider Harlestone Grange development.

The road is being built by Persimmon Homes and Barratt David Wilson on behalf of West Northamptonshire Council, which owns the land.

In response to the same concerns raised in 2025, Persimmon said: “Persimmon Homes and Barratt David Wilson are supporting WNC by delivering highway improvements on Conway Close to enable access to a future council-led housing phase at Harlestone Grange.

“We can confirm that parking, traffic, and safety were fully considered as part of the approved planning process, which included several public consultation events.

“While we are not involved in building homes in this phase, we understand there may be local concerns about the highway works. To help minimise disruption for residents, a full Construction Environmental Management Plan will be in place throughout the works.”

The developer said ten existing parking bays would be removed and replaced in a new layout. It said up to 100 homes would be accessed via Conway Close.

Persimmon said its role was limited to the roadworks, with the homes themselves to be delivered by the council.