Plans approved to build 38 'much-needed' 'affordable' new homes in busy Northampton neighbourhood despite concerns

Plans to build 38 'much-needed' 'affordable' homes in a busy neighbourhood in Northampton have been APPROVED despite calls for better infrastructure.

Proposals to build the homes on land adjacent to Kingsthorpe Bowling Club were approved at a West Northants Council planning committee meeting on Monday (February 20).

The applicant, Partner Construction Limited, proposes to build a mixture of one bed apartments as well as two and three bed houses on the brownfield site.

The semi-detached and terraced homes will be comprised of six one bed flats, 10 two-bed houses and 22 three-bed houses.

The proposed tenure mix will be 50% shared ownership and 50% social or affordable rent, according to plans.

The applicant said: "The site currently stands vacant and therefore the proposal...will provide a viable use of the site and provide high quality designs.

"The proposal will result in the maximum and efficient use of this brownfield site. The submitted proposals are therefore recommended to the local authority for their approval."

However, Conservative councillor Sam Rumens (Kingsthorpe North) spoke out against the plans, specifically the lack of infrastructure in place in the area.

He said: "This development is not the way to deliver on the huge need for affordable housing, with road safety concerns outweighing, in my view, the benefits of the site.

"This project is a symptom of wider planning issues, where seemingly, developers are finding their only option is to shoe horn as much as possible onto unsuitable sites.

"We need to identify, strategically, many more locations where the need for affordable housing can be met.

"Crucially, we need the infrastructure to cope with the expansion of our area - an orbital road being one of the prime pieces of that jigsaw.

"Without reform to how we deliver infrastructure and housing, we will continue to get unsatisfactory results like this.”

Justifying its decision, a WNC spokesman said: "The proposal is for the redevelopment of a brownfield site which is in a sustainable primarily residential area.

"From an economic objective the proposed new dwellings would result in jobs being created during the construction of the site, a contribution to the viability

of local retail uses, services and businesses and additional Council Tax revenue. Such matters would have a positive impact on the local economy and prosperity of the area which weighs in favour of the application and attract significant weight in the planning balance. As such, the proposed development would satisfy the economic role of sustainable development.

"From a social objective the delivery of a mix of affordable homes that will contribute to and help create a balanced and sustainable community in the area and assist with the delivery of much needed affordable housing.

"The benefits of the provision of the much needed affordable housing holds significant weight in the planning balance."

The North of Whitehills sustainable urban extension, which Buckton Fields is part of, reportedly falls short of the 35 per cent target requirement of affordable housing on site. WNC says these 38 'affordable' homes would 'contribute to reducing that shortfall’.