Brownfield site housing estate plans delayed

The plans are for more than 200 homes on a brownfield site in Northampton

Plans for hundreds of new homes on a town centre brownfield site have been delayed due to concerns over traffic and local facilities.

West Northamptonshire Council deferred its decision on 217 houses to the north of Ransome Road, Far Cotton, Northampton.

The site was left abandoned since the Northampton to Peterborough Branch Railway closed in the 1970s and a former landfill on the site was cleared.

It is expected the proposals will return to the planning committee later in the year.

The applicants, Tilia Homes, promised a mix of two to four-bed homes in a range of dwellings, including 24 affordable apartments.

Green open space and a play park were also proposed within this parcel to the south of the residential area, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The site would be entirely accessed from Ransome Road which already contains residential properties and leads on to an industrial area further along the lane.

The site has been empty for a number of years and there have been plans to build houses since 2004

Commercial businesses along Ransome Road raised objections to the application over volumes of traffic and access.

Another route to the homes under a previous plan, approved in 2004, was no longer possible as the road being was now owned by the University of Northampton.

Julie Davenport, an independent councillor for Delapre and Rushmere, said: "As the plan stands it will have a huge negative impact on residents and on the highways."

Concerns were also raised about the pressure on local facilities such as doctors' surgeries, schools and dentists.

The committee heard the project would not be able to make any contributions to services due the cost of making the brownfield site viable.

The planning committee resolved to defer the application to look into potential traffic regulation orders before a final decision.

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