Weekley Hall Wood: Government to rule on warehouse park planning battle

Campaigners said it was the last chance to save the Northamptonshire woodland

A decision on a controversial plan for warehouses at a woodland site are to be made by the government rather than local councillors.

The developer, Buccleuch Property, said North Northamptonshire Council had taken too long to make a decision on the plans at Weekley Hall Wood, near Kettering.

Campaigners said a "much-loved area of natural beauty" would be destroyed.

The Planning Inspectorate is gathering evidence for a hearing in November.

Buccleuch Property applied to build five or six warehouses in 2020.

The "Save Weekly Hall Wood" campaign group was formed to oppose the plan and 23,000 people have signed a petition against it.

The group has described its fight as "a real David and Goliath battle between the people of Kettering and one of the wealthiest landowners in Britain".

The Duke of Buccleuch owns the nearby Boughton House.

Toby, 17, said the wood attracted lizards, birds and deer

Toby, who studies countryside management at Moulton College, is a member of the campaign group.

He said the wood had various types of terrain and attracted many species.

"It used to be a quarry, so, in the bottom of the quarries it fills up with water, which gives plenty of habitat for things like newts and frogs, which you don't get in other woodlands.

"In the early morning, you'll see lots of lizards and lots of birds."

Campaigners said it was "a much-loved area of natural beauty"

Campaigners were preparing to oppose the plan at a meeting of North Northamptonshire Council's planning committee.

Buccleuch Property, however, appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to decide the fate of the application on the grounds of "non-determination", as the council had failed to make a decision.

Dez Dell, a member of the local Green Party, opposes the development

Dez Dell, a Green councillor on the planning committee, said he hoped the inspector would take local opposition into account.

He said: "There's one last thing we need [people] to do - everyone who has submitted an objection to the council, and we think there's about a thousand of them, has to put comments to the Planning Inspectorate."

Buccleuch Property told the BBC: "This application has been with the council now for three years and because of the non-determination over such a lengthy period, Buccleuch reluctantly concluded that - in keeping with normal planning process - an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate was the only way forward.

"We did seek to proactively work with the council to take this application to committee for a decision, as this is an application for employment use on an allocated strategic employment site, and we hope our appeal can resolve the matter as quickly as possible."

North Northamptonshire Council said: "The applicant's decision to register an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate means that they will be responsible for the determination of the application.

"We understand that the Planning Inspectorate means to hear the appeal by way of inquiry, at which the council intends to make a robust representation of its position."

Last year, a single warehouse was approved at the site to expand the existing IM Kelly facility.