Next £28m phase of Northampton to Kettering A43 dualling could start within three years

The next phase of dualling the A43 between Kettering and Northampton will take a step forward this month as two councils are set to agree how they will work together on the scheme.

North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire Councils are set to ratify a plan to get the next phase of the major scheme under way.

Phase three of the scheme will see the road dualled between the new Overstone Grange estate and the Holcot / Sywell roundabout.

Work could begin in February 2026 and be complete by April 2027.

It’s hoped that subsequent phases will eventually see the entire road upgraded and improved between Northampton and Kettering.

The scheme was originally the brainchild of the former Northamptonshire County Council which decided to tackle the scheme in phases because of its size.

A report to North Northamptonshire Council’s executive that will be presented at their meeting next Thursday (April 20) said: “Journey time surveys showed that congestion on the corridor was concentrated at the Northampton end of the route, with similar levels of delay being encountered in both directions in both peak periods.”

WNC met on Tuesday (April 11) to discuss their role in the development of the project.

Phase 1a of the scheme, completed in 2015, saw additional lanes created at the Round Spinney roundabout.

Then phase 1b – a dual-carriageway Moulton Bypass – was completed in June 2020.

Phase 2 saw the dualling from the north end of the Moulton Bypass to a new roundabout at the entrance to the Overstone Gate roundabout, completed in early 2018.

This next phase is the first that will encroach on the North Northamptonshire area. It will be designed to relieve traffic congestion at the Holcot / Sywell roundabout which is increasingly becoming a bottle-beck as constraints further south are removed.

Any further phases will be entirely in North Northants and decisions on progression will be taken by them.

A strategic outline business case for phase three, costing £350,000, was submitted to the government last May after the project had been included in the Department for Transport’s Major Road Network funding programme two years previously.

Work is now under way to develop the design of the scheme and prepare an outline business case and discussions are taking place with the councils’ planning departments to determine whether a planning application is required or whether the improvement can be progressed under permitted development rights. There may also need to be some compulsory purchase of some sites along the widened road.

West Northamptonshire will be the lead authority for this phase of the scheme. A contractor will be chosen once detailed designs are in place and then the authority will apply for match funding to the Department for Transport.

The outline business case is expected to cost £2.034m to draw up. The DfT will fork out £1.356m and then each authority will pay for a percentage of the remainder, depending on how much of the road is in their area. WNC will pay £438,000 (83 per cent) and NNC £89,000 (17 per cent).

A further £1.8m will be needed to complete detailed design, land acquisition negotiations/compulsory purchase and the full business case.

The report to councillors says: “The expectation is that £1.3m of this would come from the Department for Transport and £0.5m from the Councils, which would represent £0.085m for North Northamptonshire Council.”

Papers show the forecast construction cost is currently £28.4m. The developers of Overstone Grange have agreed in principle to provide £8m to the scheme by way of a Section 106 contribution. The DfT will provide the bulk of the rest of the cash, but the local authorities will have to fund 15 per cent of the final cost.

Public consultation will take place on the final plans before construction begins.

Cllr Graham Lawman, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets, said: “Dualling the length of the A43 is a priority major road scheme for both councils; bringing so many benefits through having a great connection between our two largest towns.

“Congestion is reduced along with journey times, making commuting easier and more attractive and the whole local economy gets invigorated by making it easier to move goods and services about. Hopefully, rat-running on unsuitable roads in nearby villages will also be reduced.

“I’m delighted to be moving forward with our neighbouring local authority and working together to make this next phase of the wider scheme a reality.”