Major 1,100 home expansion to Daventry awarded planning permission

Housing developers Stepnell applied for outline planning permission for the Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) to the southwest of Daventry on land at Malabar Farm on the A425/Staverton Road.

Councillors voted in favour of the scheme when the district council’s planning committee met virtually last night (December 9).

Roger Tustain, of Nexus Planning, was acting as the agent for the applicants. He told councillors: “The scheme provides 1,100 new homes – of which 25 per cent are affordable which equates to 275 dwellings, a new primary school, a high quality local centre with shops, community hall and pre-school facilities, major new public open space which is above the policy requirements, and enhanced footway and cycle links to the town centre. The level of objection to this scheme has been incredibly low, which we consider in part is down to the inclusive approach we have taken to this application.”

Planning papers outlined how the developers will have to pay heavily towards community infrastructure so the area can cope with the influx of new people that will move to the site; while conservation officers raised concerns over the ‘harmful impact’ upon the setting of Badby House, a listed building adjacent to the site.

But it was a pedestrian crossing that the debate was entirely focused on for councillors. The county council’s highways team had objected an ‘at grade crossing’ and suggested that the existing footbridge would be better for pedestrians and cyclists to use.

An independent assessment by The Transportation Consultancy found however that the highways team’s objection on the grounds of safety had been offered with ‘no evidence’. It also highlighted how a road safety audit had identified the existing footbridge was unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists.

The independent assessor backed the ‘at grade crossing instead, with George Bailes, from the consultancy firm, saying: “The proposed development will generate a significant amount of walking and cycling trips, and providing a safe and controlled at grade crossing across the A45 is crucial to support the number of anticipated walking trips and create a sustainable development.”

The ward councillor for Drayton, Labour’s Stephen Dabbs, is a member of the planning committee, and was one of just three councillors to vote against the scheme.

He said: “My natural inclination is not to enjoy these developments but I do recognise it’s part of the plan, and we’ll likely get it on our doorstep whether we want it or not. The trick is to get it as good as it can be.

“In the main, I think it’s a good one, but my biggest major concern is a self contained housing estate that will feel cut off from the rest of the town, and the thing doing the cutting off is the A45. If it’s a barrier we’ll end up with too many car journeys.”

Councillor Dabbs also suggested that the proposed speed of 50mph, even though it was reduced, was too high and that 40mph to the north of the crossing would be safer. But officers responded that the transport modelling had been done on 50mph, and any speed change would have to go to a speed review panel.

The development is expected to generate approximately 351 pre-school pupils, 351 primary school pupils and 264 secondary and sixth form school pupils based on an average three-bed house mix across the site. This means the developers will have to foot a bill of roughly £6.5 million for a new primary school to be built.

District council papers have also indicated that ‘there will not be enough capacity’ in existing healthcare facilities to absorb the anticipated increase in demand created by the development. To mitigate this, developers will have to support a local infrastructure expansion to the tune of £857,000, which will help the three closest surgeries Daventry PCN, Abbey House Surgery and Danetre Medical Centre.

In the end, councillors approved the scheme by 10 votes to three. With the development situated on land that had been earmarked in the Local Plan for development, and with it complying with planning policy, it appeared to tick many boxes for the majority of the committee.

Councillor David James, who is also the economic development portfolio holder, voted in favour and said: “This particular site is very sustainable and it’s in an ideal position. This is a natural consequence of the expansion of the town. But I’m quite satisfied with the means of access, particularly if we have a pedestrian crossing. It does probably mean the speed of the road would reduce, and I would agree with Councillor Dabbs on it becoming 40mph. But providing a crossing to complement the existing bridge is perfectly adequate.”