Plans for 120 homes in urban extension approved

The urban extension will be built on Norword Farm to the west of Northampton

Plans for 120 homes on the outskirts of a town have been approved despite concerns raised about flooding.

The homes will be built between Duston, on the western edge of Northampton, and the village of Harpole.

They will be part of the wider Norwood Farm Strategic Urban Extension, which will include 1,900 homes in total.

There were also issues raised about the need for more affordable homes in the scheme, but the plan was approved by West Northamptonshire Council.

The authority's strategic planning committee heard the housing was "in an area of high demand", according to the developer.

It will have 18 homes, from the 120 approved, marketed at affordable and social rent, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The strategic planning committee heard concerns there were not enough affordable homes and they would be placed together in a "cluster".

'Flooding significantly worse'

Councillors said there were also worries about flooding, with Conservative Ann Addison saying it was "a very big issue" in her ward of Bugbrooke.

"We have had three major floods recently; it just has to drop a bit of rain and the village is flooded," she said.

"Frankly, I don't like the concrete and I don't like one of my villages flooding."

Fellow Bugbrooke Conservative councillor Adam Brown voiced similar concerns and said villagers told him flooding had been "significantly worse than in the past" since work on the development started.

The Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) also advised insufficient information had been submitted to demonstrate that the water drainage scheme for the development would manage flood risks.

As the LLFA maintains its objection the applicant will have to seek approval for their drainage scheme and strategy conditions before any building can start.