Plans unveiled for huge new industrial estate on Northampton farmland the size of 97 football pitches

Proposals have been submitted by David Lock Associates Limited to build five industrial units and office space on 69 hectares of land near Junction 15 of the M1 motorway.

The project aims to provide a total area of 149,476 square metres, designed specifically for storage and distribution purposes. Access to the site is proposed to be taken off the newly built roundabout in Northampton Road.

According to the plans, the tallest buildings can reach up to 21 meters high, and the warehouse area can be a maximum of 138,000 square metres. The office space will be limited to 7,000 square metres, and the total area of the development will not exceed 145,000 square metres. Overall, the warehouses and offices will occupy about 29 hectares of the development site.

Only a scoping report has been submitted so far; an official planning application will be submitted at a later date.

Bugbrooke Parish Council said: “It is believed that this development is included in the local plan and therefore, likely to go ahead and it will offer employment even if limited. However, the Bugbrooke Parish Council were keen to ensure that the Environment Agency would look at Waste Management to ensure the system could handle it properly with no risk of pollution of waterways.

"The other issue for consideration is the transport; there should be a wider plan than just the M1, considering what route vehicles would use should the M1 be closed. The council are keen to see solar panels on the roofs and the necessary investment in the grid to enable this.”

The Environmental Health Office said: “It is considered that a noise assessment will be required at the detailed planning application stage and to assess mitigation measures for the construction of the site. For the applicant’s information, the land north of the M1 has been identified for residential purposes and the impacts will need to be assessed should the houses be built prior to the development and construction starting.”

The Northants Gardens Trust said: “We accept that detailed landscaping proposals are not available at this stage of the application but note that the southern boundary of the development is to be bunded. To mitigate the impact on Courteenhall RPG, we would hope that these are of sufficient height to screen the proposed units and of a suitable gradient to support substantial tree planting to further mitigate the visual impact.”