Controversial plans withdrawn for rumoured McDonald’s and Starbucks near new Northampton relief road
Controversial plans to build an electric vehicle charging station and roadside facilities – rumoured to be a McDonald’s and Starbucks – on a floodplain in Northampton have been withdrawn.
Applicant Brampton Valley Way Trust has this week withdrawn proposals to build the roadside facilities on land just off Welford Road, next to the newly-opened North West Relief Road (NWRR).
The reason behind the move is not yet known. A WNC planning officer simply said: “The applicant chose to withdraw the application prior to the application being determined.”
The plans were first submitted in November 2024. The application was one of two for the 6.5-hectare site.
The other half of the application, also submitted in November 2024, is for a a solar farm on farmland, next to the NWRR and The Windhover pub. Those plans are still seeking approval. A target decision date on that has been set for January 30.
If approved, the solar farm would generate up to five megawatts of electricity using ground-mounted solar panels, according to plans. The developers say it will help ‘reduce carbon emissions, combat climate change, and improve local energy security’.
The applicant says the nearby construction of the NWRR, which opened this week, is key to their plans, as it changes the landscape and provides grid access for the solar farm.
The solar farm would be a temporary development lasting 40 years, according to plans. After that, the land can return to full agricultural use with ‘minimal disruption’, according to the developers.
However, many residents have criticised the proposals due to the site being on a floodplain, with hundreds of objections lodged on both plans.
One wrote: “As a person who uses this area for recreation, and has done for many years, the impact of more building on what should be natural water draining land is filling me with fear. Northampton is becoming a concrete city.”
Another said: “This is a reckless location for such a development.”
Addressing these concerns, the applicant said: “Although the site is located within a flood zone, the PV arrays on the solar panels and the on-site transformer will be located above ground level and above predicted water levels, meaning there will be no displacement of fluvial or pluvial floodwaters, and the development could continue to operate under extreme rainfall events."
They added: "Notwithstanding, the site’s location, with access to national grid connection, makes this a desirable and highly sought-after location for a solar farm.”