Isham bypass: Long-awaited road given £1.8m funding

Residents have been campaigning for a bypass for Isham for more than 20 years

A village bypass first approved 15 years ago has moved a step closer after a council accepted £1.8m of government funding.

It is hoped work on the A509 Isham bypass between Wellingborough and Kettering will begin in 2024.

North Northamptonshire Council's executive approved the money the Department for Transport allocated for the road last month.

The authority said it was "a positive step in this important local scheme".

The village, with a population of about 800, is on the busy route between Wellingborough and Kettering

A report to the council said the road, initially approved in 2006, was "expected to improve traffic flows and reduce congestion".

It also said: "The conditions of the grant require cycling and walking to be considered as part of the road scheme."

The money will be used for an outline business case and planning application, with the aim of the bypass opening in summer 2026.