Fresh hint reveals when controversially delayed ‘relief’ road in Northampton might open – as WNC enters seventh week of silence

The Sandy Lane Relief Road (SLRR) – as West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) calls it, which joins New Sandy Lane in Duston and the A4500 near Harpole – is still not fully opened, at the time of writing on July 15. It was supposedly set to open at the end of May 2025.

The last update to the Chronicle & Echo from WNC was on May 27 when Reform UK councillor Richard Butler, WNC's Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport said: "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.”

Seven weeks later and WNC has not provided the Chronicle & Echo with any update on the opening of the road despite repeated requests for comment.

However, Vincent Clive, the Reform councillor for the Duston ward, responded to a resident on Chronicle and Echo’s Facebook page with some information.

A resident wrote to Councillor Clive, whose Reform Party are in power after taking control from the previous Conservative administration, saying: “Don't you realise the problems that are caused to the roads like Harlestone Road and Bants Lane? With the excessive amounts of heavy vehicles on the roads that are not designed for these vehicle, let alone the impact on the residents who for nearly three years have had to endure this problem, all because of the lies told by the previous councillors.

"Harpole has suffered terribly, as has Duston. Look at Sandy Lane Plants, nearly gone bust, yet no help or compensation. They like the rest of us have been lied to. It is NOT acceptable. STOP all the house building and concentrate on these roads.”

In response, councillor Clive said: “I've answered this question a number of times now: end of July, early August is what I'm hearing. Checks now largely done, boarding to go up around the housing estates being built there over the next 2 weeks prior to opening the road.”

Last week, this newspaper asked whether tensions between West Northants Council (WNC), its road contractor Kier, and Homes England could be behind the delays, following claims that a breakdown in the working relationship was to blame.

A dog walker and drone pilot recorded the site earlier this month whose YouTube video claims the bridleway crossing the road is too steep – click here to watch the video.

WNC remains silent.

The SLRR consists of two parts:

The northern section, built by developers Miller Homes, runs south from Berrywood Road and continues towards the A4500.

The southern section, known as ‘the road to nowhere’, runs north from the A4500 opposite Upton Valley Way North, which has been left incomplete since 2010 due to land disputes with its owner, Homes England.

The northern section originally closed on June 12, 2023, with plans to reopen by March 31, 2024. However, it didn’t open until June 28 – three months later than planned.

The southern section remained closed, so a temporary link was put in place, which is still being used today.

In September 2024, councillor Adam Brown said he hoped the southern section – described by some as the “road to nowhere” – would be finished by the end of the year. That target was missed.

In early 2025, Cllr Brown announced that, following negotiations with Homes England, work to complete the southern section had started in February and was now expected to be finished by spring 2025. That has not happened under the new Reform-led council.