Northampton ‘relief’ road still closed nine weeks after it was supposed to open – Reform-led council remain silent
A Northampton ‘relief’ road remains closed nine weeks after it was supposed to open – and the Reform-led West Northamptonshire Council has still not explained why.
The Sandy Lane Relief Road (SLRR), which connects Duston to the A4500 near Upton, was meant to open by the end of May. But two months later, the road is still shut and West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has not provided any update.
The last statement came on May 27, shortly after Reform UK took control of the council in the local elections.
Reform Councillor Richard Butler, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said at the time: “The much-anticipated SLRR is nearing completion. Final works are underway to this vital road that will ease congestion in the area and it is on track to be completed at the end of May.
"As with all infrastructure projects, quality and safety inspections will then be carried out ahead of the road opening to motorists. We will be providing an update to residents on an opening date in the coming weeks.”
That update never came. The council has now been silent for nine weeks, despite repeated requests for comment from this newspaper.
The road is made up of two sections. The northern section, built by Miller Homes, reopened in June 2024 after a three-month delay. It is currently being served by a temporary link that joins it back onto the old Sandy Lane – but the junction is incredibly tight, with a near 90-degree turn and barely enough room for two cars to pass.
Former council leader Adam Brown defended the decision to open the road this way, saying: “The link is what we could deliver on a temporary basis, and it meets all relevant safety criteria. The alternative was to leave high volumes of traffic going through Harpole village for even longer, a situation nobody wanted.”
The southern section – which completes the route through to the A4500 – was long delayed due to a narrow strip of land owned by Homes England. That issue appears to have been resolved, and the road looks physically complete. But it remains closed, and no explanation has been given.
In July, Homes England confirmed their part of the project was done and said the council had only “some limited but necessary activities” left before opening.
Nearby businesses say they are being kept in the dark. Sandy Lane Plants, a family-run plant nursery, says trade has collapsed since the works began back in April 2023. Owner Cheryl Barnett said: “We were told the road would open months ago. Since then – nothing.”
The SLRR is due to link into the £54.5 million North West Relief Road, which is still scheduled to open this month.