Completion date revealed for controversial £54.5 million 'relief' road next to forest on the edge of Northampton

Work on the £54.5 million North West Relief Road progresses, with completion expected this summerWork on the £54.5 million North West Relief Road progresses, with completion expected this summer
Work on the £54.5 million North West Relief Road progresses, with completion expected this summer
A completion date has been revealed for a controversial £54.5 million ‘relief’ road on the edge of Northampton.

In autumn 2024, Persimmon Homes started works on the final phase of the North West Relief Road (NWRR), which runs from the Windhover pub in Kingsthorpe through to New Sandy Lane next to Harlestone Firs.

Works started on the road in March 2022. Phase one of the scheme, from the A428 to a roundabout near Grange Farm, just south of the railway line, was built by developers of Dallington Grange, Persimmon Homes.

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West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) built the section of road across the railway line, which was completed in July 2024. WNC 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.

And now, the final section will be completed this summer and subsequently opened to motorists.

A Persimmon Homes spokeswoman said: “We're pleased to say that the works have progressed well with the final section of the NWRR. We currently anticipate the road being fully complete and open this summer.”

In partnership with David Wilson Homes, Persimmon is also building 3,000 new homes on Dallington Fields, with 300 earmarked as ‘affordable’.

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Critics have called the road a housing estate road instead of a relief road.

Conservative councillor Sam Rumens (Kingsthorpe North ward) has said previously that he is not convinced the road will provide any relief at all.

Councillor Rumens said: “Though I am not convinced the NWRR will provide any relief to Kingsthorpe – in my view, it is merely an access road for housing – we now need to see this project completed in full as soon as possible. We can’t have a road to nowhere.

“More fundamentally, we need to continue on the pathway to getting a proper orbital road built, most likely connecting the area near J16 of the M1 with the A43 around Moulton/Sywell.

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“Northampton needs a proper orbital road system, and until it has one, our potential for economic growth will be held back, and both road users and others in Kingsthorpe and beyond will continue to suffer from increased pollution, congestion, and journey times.”

Cllr Phil Larratt, in charge of Highways at WNC, previously said: ““Once completed, it will create an unbroken link across the western side of Northampton between the A508 and the A4500. Its aim is to accommodate housing growth at Dallington Fields, reduce congestion on overcrowded roads through nearby villages and parts of Northampton, while improving road connectivity.”

However, Sean Brady, the chairman of Whitehills & Spring Park Residents Association (WASPRA), previously said: “With this application, we’re sleepwalking into another planning disaster like the bus station and Angel Square. Our traffic assessments show gridlock is certain. The proposed roundabout is without question a danger with HGVs trying to navigate its multi-lane layout. This road will cause traffic to push down the various rat runs by parents making their way to school, and it’s only a matter of time before the first casualty.”

The landscape in the area has dramatically changed to make way for the road, which has been constructed through parts of Harlestone Firs, where 1,800 trees were felled to make way for the new road.

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The developers have promised to replant 8,000 new native trees and shrubs, but no replanting timeline has yet been provided by the developer or the Althorp Estate, which owns Harlestone Firs.

Take a look here at drone footage of the site in October 2024.

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