Planning application for vast DHL warehouse in Northamptonshire takes step forward as concerns dropped by traffic authority

A long-running planning application for a vast DHL warehouse development on fields in Northamptonshire has taken another step forward after National Highways (NH) dropped their concerns on the site’s impact on the traffic network.

Site blueprints include detailed plans for the large DHL warehouse, outline plans for a further 91,000sqm of employment space and a new roundabout and land for Towcester Town Football Club. The application concerns green space on the northern edge of Towcester, accessed from the A5 near Bell Plantation.

DHL’s new site is expected to create up to 1,200 new full-time jobs for the local area. Several other applications for large warehouse employment zones in the surrounding area are also pending planning permission from West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), known as ‘AL’ developments.

Co-founder of the local campaign group Save Towcester Now, Isla Whitcroft, said: “People are angry. They endure on a weekly basis huge delays and queues in and out from Towcester. As soon as there’s any issue on the M1 there’s just chaos everywhere - it’s a misery to live with.

“Towcester is a historic town and it brings tourism to the region. Who’s going to want to come and look at a town that is surrounded by warehouses? They will be monstrosities.

“They will dominate the landscape, they will absolutely tower over everything and that’s apart from the traffic.”

Up until this point, NH has blocked the application and surrounding sites from being approved by requiring DHL to provide more information and cumulative impact assessments. Recently, the road authority published documents saying it has no objections to the planning, recommending a few conditions if planning consent is granted by WNC.

South Northants MP Dame Andrea Leadsom has since spoken out about the application, sharing a letter written to WNC and National Highways to stress her concern about them dropping their objection.

She wrote that their latest update was a “disastrous decision for Towcester” and requested an urgent meeting with those involved.

Victoria Lazenby, acting regional director for National Highways told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We will be responding to Dame Andrea’s letter in due course and would welcome an opportunity to speak further so we can explain our position and our reasons for raising no objections in principle to this application within the context of national planning policies.”

Hundreds of objections from local people have been submitted to WNC and the Save Towcester Now petition, which was first launched in 2021, has built up more than 4,000 signatures. A hoard of parish councils in the local area have also lodged their objections to the site.

Ms Whitcroft added: “I think we’ve won the battle in terms of persuading statutory bodies that this is not suitable, however, DHL are not listening. They will just keep going regardless of what is good for everybody.

“We’re still sitting here, ‘Save Towcester Now’, worrying that the strategic planning might go through.”

WNC has said there is still no set date for the plans to go to the strategic planning committee. The authority has confirmed, however, that it will not be on the agenda for the next meeting on April 23.

View the full planning application here.