Four-day public hearing over appeal for rejected plan for a 24,000sqm industrial site out the outskirts of Northampton

An appeal for a rejected industrial development on a greenfield site in Northamptonshire, which contained plans for a total of 18 warehouses, has started a four-day public hearing to determine if the application was rightly refused.

The outline application comprised proposals for an employment zone on a fields to the north of Bedford Road/A428, and adjacent to the Brackmills Industrial Estate. The original plans went to a West Northants planning committee in December 2022 and were rejected shortly after.

Representatives of West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and the applicant, Duncan Investments Ltd, attended the first day of appeal hearings at the Guildhall, Northampton, on Tuesday, November 21. The application was seeking outline permission for up to 24,000 square meters of employment land, new vehicular access, associated parking and highway infrastructure.

It comprised two blocks of smaller-sized units, a pair of semi-detached units, and five larger stand-alone warehouses, each with its own service yards and parking. The buildings were to be used for general industry, storage and distribution warehouses, and offices.

The development was originally rejected by WNC as the site’s “location and the scale” would have a “detrimental impact on the local landscape character through the erosion of the openness that currently exists between Northampton and the villages of Great Houghton and Little Houghton”. It also cited a “substantial encroachment” into the landscape and the “resultant harm to the character and visual amenity” to the semi-rural setting as a reason for dismissal.

A resident of Great Houghton, Matthew Jaggard, attended the public hearing on Tuesday (November 21) to speak against the appeal. He said: “I bring my objection to this planning on behalf of my family. The countryside around Great Houghton is truly beautiful and a significant area of that will be destroyed by this development. It will affect those who use footpaths and country lanes thereabouts.”

The view between Great Houghton, Little Houghton and Northampton town centre would be obstructed by the warehouses and disrupt the rural feel of the villages. Mr Jaggard also made reference to the effect that increased traffic on Bedford Road would have, suggesting that it would impact the air quality and noise pollution in the area.

The appellant argued that the benefits of the proposal mitigate any impact on the environment, providing the area with a range of employment opportunities and supporting an estimated 279 full-time equivalent jobs once it is operational. Plans also put forward a 20-metre-wide belt of woodland planting to provide screening towards Great Houghton and the softening of the development.

The case officer for the appeal, Tim Salter, will make his decision on Friday, November 24, after reviewing evidence from both parties.