Residents fuming as Northampton school parking chaos row rumbles on as ombudsman clears West Northants Council

Residents living near The Duston School are fuming after the Local Government Ombudsman ruled this year that it would not investigate their complaint into parking chaos around the site.

In a final decision issued in early 2026, the Ombudsman said it would not pursue a complaint against West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) over its handling of alleged planning breaches linked to the school.

The complaint was brought by a resident, referred to as Mr X, who claimed the council had failed to enforce planning conditions. He said the breaches were contributing to traffic congestion, anti-social behaviour and noise, and called for enforcement action.

Parking around the 2,000-pupil secondary school has been a long-running source of tension. Residents say traffic during drop-off and pick-up times clogs Berrywood Road and surrounding residential streets, with cars blocking driveways and restricting access.

Jillian Bone, who lives less than 100 metres from the school, previously described the situation as “unbearable”.

She said: "Every day, morning and afternoon during the working week, we are plagued by school traffic restricting Berrywood Road, and the residential roads opposite are filled with parked cars. Cars that are parked without any thought or consideration for residents. Driveways are blocked, the throughway is restricted to the point where aggression from parents is a regular, not a rare, occurrence.”

However, the Ombudsman concluded there was not enough evidence of fault by the council to justify an investigation.

The report states: “We will not investigate this complaint about the council’s actions in relation to enforcement of possible planning breaches. This is because we are unlikely to find fault with the council.”

It adds: “I am satisfied that the council properly considered Mr X’s complaint and has explained why it will not take any further action. I have considered the steps the council took to consider the alleged breaches. There is no fault in how it took the decision and I therefore cannot question whether that decision was right or wrong.”

Mr X had argued that a required travel plan had not been submitted, which he believed would help address traffic problems. Although this was a condition of the planning permission, the council said the necessary information had been provided and that the breach was resolved.

The Ombudsman also declined to investigate a complaint about delays in the council’s complaints procedure, stating there was “insufficient personal injustice to justify an investigation”.

The final decision read: “We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we are unlikely to find fault with the council.”

Despite the ruling, some residents say they remain deeply unhappy. One resident said: “We feel that the ombudsman’s decision is unjustified and not in the public interest. If WNC Executive have nothing to fear, they should open a public inquiry where the evidence is presented and independently cross examined. The ombudsman has simply taken what they have been told by WNC at face value and not tested it. Based upon residents experience of WNC being unable to deliver on their own plan, this does not bode well for the outcome of the new planning consultation for West Northampton (closing on the 27th March). Residents should be prepared to expect and be braced for similar disappointments.”

Responding to concerns, Duston School headteacher Sam Strickland said: “The Duston School is working in conjunction with the local parish council and an array of key stakeholders, including the Local Authority, to consider viable solutions to the parking situation in the locality. A series of meetings have taken place to date, with further meetings planned.’”

A spokesperson for West Northamptonshire Council said: “We don’t have anything further to add.”