Scheme for 100 homes will deposit traffic in Northampton and the council tax in Towcester

Kier Ventures Limited has launched a scoping application to South Northamptonshire Council to build a further 100 homes on land south of Newport Pagnell Road at Wootton Fields.

The plans for a mixed development with houses up to two storeys in height, would effectively be tacked on to the back of a Morris Homes scheme of 269 homes which won approval back in 2015.

And the submission comes just four months after Marton Grant Homes and Harcourt Developments submitted a “screening application” to build a further 470 houses on fields to the north of Newport Pagnell Road, east of Hardingstone.

But as the application falls within South Northamptonshire Council territory, leader of Northampton Borough Council’s Labour group, Councillor Danielle Stone (Lab, Castle) fears the submission will yet again see a neighbouring authority cream all the council tax for homes that will only impact on Northampton residents.

She said: “I’m not opposed to new housing as we have a housing crisis.

“We have a chronic shortage of homes.

“However, there is a deep suspicion that South Northamptonshire District Council is reluctant to place large scale housing developments in their villages, but very keen to approve them on the border with Northampton.”

The Wootton Fields land could now be used for nearly 1,000 homes, with huge developments also earmarked for nearby Collingtree and Hardingstone.

However, all of those schemes fall within the South Northamptonshire borders, which would also take the lion’s share of planning sweetener money associated with planning approval.

Northampton, on the other hand, will get all the traffic, says Councillor Stone.

“It means villages are protected from developments but Northampton gets all the challenges like congested roads,” she continued.

“Housing development needs to happen, but it must be done fairly across the West Northamptonshire area rather than being dumped on Northampton’s boundaries.”

To make comments on the application, head to the planning section on South Northamptonshire Council’s website and search for the application number S/2016/2559/SCR.