£800k for road schemes and community projects

Some of the money is from contributions developers have paid to North Northamptonshire Council

A council has earmarked a series of long-awaited highways projects and community improvements for extra funding.

North Northamptonshire Council has approved about £800,000 of capital works, funded by grants and contributions from developers.

It includes £445,000 to develop a business case for a bypass around the village of Isham, near Kettering, as well as improvements to a library and village hall.

A report to the authority's executive committee, which met on Thursday, said: "The capital programme is the council's plan for investing in assets to efficiently deliver its services, and to improve the local infrastructure of north Northamptonshire."

The Isham bypass project had an approved budget of about £5m for the planning stage.

The council said the extra money was needed to complete the application and undertake ecological surveys of the area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service,

It will also allow officers to respond to queries about the plans.

The A509 between Wellingborough and Kettering cuts through Isham

A traffic calming scheme at Warkton Lane, Kettering, was also addressed at Thursday's meeting.

A budget of £300,000 has been earmarked over the next two years. All funding for the scheme is from contributions by developers.

A further £62,700 will pay for improvements at Broughton Village Hall, including new changing rooms.

Money will also go to Desborough Library, where £53,000 is needed in 2025/26 to increase the children's area and install accessible toilets.