'Coming soon': Sign goes up advertising 3,000-home housing estate in Northampton equivalent to the size of 10 football pitches

A 3,000-home housing estate equivalent to the size of 10 football pitches is 'coming soon' to Northampton - here's what we know so far.

A new sign has gone up in York Way, Harlestone advertising the yet-to-be-built Harlestone Grange housing estate.

The sign says: 'Harlestone Grange, a selection of three, four and five bedroom homes. Coming 2023.'

Both Persimmon Homes and David Wilson Homes will be delivering the project, which was initially being called 'Dallington Grange' housing estate.

The project was granted planning permission by the now defunct Northampton Borough Council back in February 2021, six years after the proposals were first submitted.

As well as houses, the site will comprise of the following: a food store; six shop units for retail, including professional and financial services, restaurant/cafe, a drinking establishment and hot food takeaway; a public house/restaurant; a nursery; two primary schools; a secondary school; and Grange Farm will be redeveloped to accommodate a cafe/restaurant/public house or hotel, according to planning papers.

Just 300 homes (10 percent) will be earmarked as ‘affordable’, the developers said.

David Wilson Homes was asked when construction work is set to start and end but the firm was unable to confirm specific dates.

The developers of Harlestone Grange have also contributed to the first phase of the North West Relief Road.

Work finally got under way last month (March) on phase two of the £54.5 million relief road around the north-west corner of Northampton.

Once complete the project will link the A428 Harlestone Road to the A5199 Welford Road and will eventually join up with a planned Northern Orbital Road, running to the A43 near Moulton.

Planning consent was granted back in September 2020 despite opposition from local campaign groups after more than 30 years in the pipeline but only got the green light after West Northamptonshire Council voted to take out a £20 million loan in December 2021 to cover more than one-third of the bill following a shortfall in funding.

Councillor Garerth Eales, longstanding representative of the Dallington ward, criticised the proposals back in 2018 along with more than 100 other residents.

The councillor said: "Northampton needs more social housing not big, private development."