The big applications granted planning permission in Northampton this week

The borough council’s planning committee convened at The Guildhall on Tuesday (May 7), and approved all of the 15 applications they heard. Here’s a rundown of their decisions.

APPROVED: Demolition of St James Works factory and the construction of 20 affordable dwellings on Vicarage Road.

The opening application was the big one of the evening. The site has been unused since a fire many years ago, and will now be bulldozed to make way for 20 new affordable homes. Dominic Kramer, of architects Morton Wykes Kramer, says he used to live in St James and said it would have been 'shameful' for him not to come up with something to bring this site back into use. The committee were gushing in their praise of the design, and approved the scheme unanimously. Read more on this decision here.

APPROVED: Installation of mesh panel backstop and fences with two concrete block dugouts adjacent to the baseball field at St Crispin Park.

Northants Baseball Club wanted to add some sporting touches to their home at St Crispin in the form of dugouts and a fence around the pitch. The application faced some resistance from the parish councils in Upton and Duston. 22 residents have responded, with only two in favour. Main concerns were the loss of open space, and potential for the dugouts to attract anti-social behaviour. But officers said it would not have an ‘undue visual impact’. Councillors unanimously backed the proposal as it was ‘appropriate’ for the land. They also wanted to encourage local sports groups in a bid to get more people active. Read more on this here.

APPROVED: Change of Use from dwellinghouse to House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for four occupants at 69 Delapre Street.

Councillor Emma Roberts has objected due to 'a large number of unauthorised HMOs' in the area and concerns on parking congestion and highway safety. She was due to raise objections in person but didn’t make it to the meeting. Highways raised no objections. The owner of the property agreed that there are unauthorised HMOs in the area, but says that responsible landlords such as themselves who have applied for planning permission should not be penalised. The committee praised the applicant, with Cllr Jane Birch saying: "This looks like it will be quite good with sufficient space for residents."

APPROVED: Single-storey side extension and rebuild of unstable boundary screen wall at 24 Tollgate Close.

Councillors barely even discussed this, very quickly giving it planning approval unanimously.

APPROVED: Change of use from dwellinghouse to House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for three occupants at 64 Military Road.

Councillor Danielle Stone has called it in on the grounds of 'overdevelopment and lack of balance in the locality'. But councillors were told that there was not a number of HMOs in the area that made it above the accepted threshold, and quickly granted it planning permission.

APPROVED: Non-Material Amendment to permitted application (demolition of existing residential unit, construction of two residential units with associated garages, construction of extension to existing self-storage at Access Storage Solutions, Tollgate Way).

A minor amendment to an approved application was given the green light. The approved scheme had been for demolition of a residential unit and construction of two residential units with associated garages. Access Storage Solutions will now reduce the size of one of the garages at Tollgate Way.

NORTHAMPTON PARTNERSHIP HOMES APPLICATIONS

As is now becoming a regular feature at planning meetings, a number of NPH applications to demolish garages and replace them with homes were heard. Here are the nine applications that were approved:

Demolition of four domestic garages and erection of one new build bungalow at 8 Overleys Court.

Demolition of existing garages and construction of three new dwellings with associated parking at the lock-up garages at Grange Road.

Demolition of four garages and erection of two new build dwellings and parking at the lock-up garages at Paddock Mill Court.

Demolition of 10 domestic garages and construction of three new build dwellings on land adjacent to 150 Maidencastle.

Demolition of 15 domestic garages and erection of two new build units behind 64 and 66 St David's Road.

Demolition of four domestic garages and erection of one new build bungalow at the lock-up garages at Marshleys Court.

Demolition of 26 domestic garages and erection of two new build units at the garage block at Limehurst Close.

Demolition of 27 domestic garages and erection of two new build units and parking spaces at the lock-up garages at Nursery Lane.

Demolition of four domestic lock-up garages and construction of one new build dwelling at the lock-up garages adjacent to 4 Prentice Court.