Developers working on 3,000-home housing estate extension in Northampton given strict rules to follow while carrying out construction work

Plans to build 3,000 homes as an extension to Dallington Grange were green-lighted in 2018, but developers on the site have now been given more than 40 points to stick to as they build the properties.

This newspaper has picked some of the key points which Persimmon Homes, the applicant, and Pegasus Group, the developers, must stick to while delivering the housing estate expansion.

The proposed development boasts an opportunity for the provision of a new secondary school as well as two new primary schools set within the 3,000 houses in Dallington Grange, which promises to create employment opportunities for residents.

But the move had been greatly delayed over a dispute over where the access roads should go.

A Northampton Borough Council (NBC) spokesman said in the recent planning approval that the development forms a "significant and vital" component of the borough council’s five-year housing land requirement and would contribute towards the government’s aims of improving economic development and the creation of employment and training opportunities.

The NBC spokesman said: "The site is located in a sustainable location on the edge of Northampton, which will be adequately served by the necessary infrastructure and it is considered that the environmental and highway impacts can be adequately mitigated or reduced to an acceptable degree."

Here are some of the key factors that NBC has said developers must abide by while constructing the mass extension:

Before work starts on the Conway Close access, full engineering and construction details of the proposed access from Conway Close shall be submitted for approval from the Local Planning Authority (LPA).

The Conway Close access will be provided, if approved, before the 300th home is occupied. The reason for this is to prevent any issues with traffic in the area.

Prior to the occupation of any property, full engineering and construction details of the following highway improvements should be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the LPA:

• Harlestone Road/ Quarry Road/ Lodge Way

• A428/Harlestone Road/ Firs View/ Lodge Drive/ Lodge Way

The works will be carried out, if approved, before the occupation of the 100th property on site. The reason behind this is to prevent traffic issues in the area.

Prior to the occupation of the 501st property, full engineering and construction details of the following highway improvements should be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the LPA:

• New Sandy Lane/ Harlestone Road roundabout to be delivered before the occupation of the 601st property

• Mill Lane site access roundabout and link to be delivered before the occupation of the 600th property

• Hawksmoor Way/ Hawksmoor Drive access to be delivered before the occupation of the 2,274th property

The reason behind this is to once again prevent traffic issues in the area.

A detailed plan of when the following sites shall begin being built should be submitted: affordable housing, the local centre, open space, community facilities, employment areas, open space, sports provision, play equipment, primary schools, secondary school, housing, highway infrastructure. The reason for this is to ensure the timely provision of facilities, according to NBC.

Prior to commencement of the North West Relief Road (NWRR), full engineering and construction details and a timetable for implementation of the first section of the NWRR should be submitted for approval in writing by the LPA. The reason for this is to again prevent traffic issues in the area.

No construction work should be carried out on the site outside the hours of 7.30am to 6pm Mondays to Fridays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays or at any time on Sundays, Bank Holidays or other statutory holidays. No construction traffic shall enter or leave the site before 7am Mondays to Saturdays or at any time on Sundays, Bank Holidays or other statutory holidays.

To improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, every home which is occupied will be fitted with a charging port for electric vehicles.

Before any ground works begin, a foul water strategy should be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the LPA.

No properties will be occupied until the foul water strategy works have been carried out. The reason for this is in the interests of flood prevention and to ensure a satisfactory standard of development, according to NBC.

Prior to the 501st property occupation, a scheme to provide suitable access roads over the Main River should be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the LPA. This is to reduce the risk of flooding to the proposed development and future occupants, according to NBC.

Click here to view the plans in their entirety.