Agenda item

(Copy herewith)

Councillor Hadland submitted a report which sought to clarify Northampton Borough Council’s position in relation to the adoption of the Joint Core Strategy Part 1 Local Plan, specifically in relation to Policies N5 and N6 and the strategic highways infrastructure which the council’s Mmebers on the West Northamptonshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee (WNJSPC) did not feel were adequately addressed in the Joint Core Strategy. He explained that the many people who had expressed their view were not NIMBY’s and not fundamentally against development and the building of homes, but that they would like it to be sustainable. He further commented that Collingtree was not sustainable as an area for a SUE due to flooding, transport and infrastructure, which were the reasons for rejecting the Joint Core Strategy’s recommendations. He further explained that the building of homes for both the Northampton South SUE and the Northampton South of Brackmills SUE may not happen for a number of years and this would not be funded or developed at the same time as infrastructure and questioned whether it was the right time for such developments. He stated that there was a commitment to improving the Town for its current residents and for future residents of Northampton and further questioned the validity of the democratic voting system of the West Northamptonshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee.

Councillor Mackintosh seconded the report and explained that the WNJSPC was inherited and was conscious that people were not against development but that there was a need for the infrastructure to be in place as the same time as the home-building.

Councillor Beardsworth commented that she hoped that everyone supported the recommendations within the report and exclaimed her unhappiness that people had not felt listened to by the Joint Planning Unit. She further noted that the New Homes Bonus financially benefited the Council but suggested that there was a feeling that developments were being ‘dumped’ on certain areas, Northampton being one of them.

Councillor Larratt explained that the needs of Northampton had largely been ignored and that the A45 could not currently cope with the capacity and was heavily congested and that any potential developments on the site could have further ramifications on traffic on the roads, including the Newport Pagnell Road.

Councillor Marriott thanked all the members of their public for speaking and stated that there was a need for control over the development within the boundaries of Northampton.

Councillor Hill commented that he could not support an extra 1000 homes being built due to the traffic impact on the Roadtree Road and that any additional traffic would only make the situation worse.

Councillor Hadland thanked members and the public for their comments and noted they had produced a large amount of evidence which they had gathered, and expressed his appreciation at the work that they had done.

RESOLVED:

1.    That Council confirms an objection to the allocation of the site for 1000 dwellings in Policy N5 ‘Northampton South SUE’ and makes this known to the decision maker in the determination of the associated planning applications.

2.    That Council confirms an objection to the allocation of the site for 1300 dwellings in Policy N6 ‘Northampton South of Brackmills SUE’ and makes this known to the decision maker in the determination of the associated planning applications

3.    That Council confirms an objection to the limited provision of the North-West bypass as set out in Policy T7 of the Joint Core Strategy and requests that Northamptonshire County Council invests in updating its strategic transportation modelling to better assess impacts of development on Northampton’s highways and also plans and provides for a significant upgrade and as well as addressing the missing links of the North-West bypass, to be completed as soon as possible.

4.    That Council, subject to confirmation of the recommendations above, notes and supports the adoption of the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy Local Plan Part 1 as part of the Development Plan for the purposes of determining planning applications.