Kettering campaigners' victory in battle for wood

Campaigners brought their placards to the public inquiry

A long-running row over plans to build warehouses in a popular wood has ended with defeat for a developer.

The final decision on the future of Weekley Hall Wood near Kettering, Northamptonshire, has been made by a planning inspector.

The inspector said the five warehouses would be too big and would not provide enough high-quality jobs.

The developer, Buccleuch Properties, said it was "disappointed" the project could not go ahead.

Campaigners said Weekley Hall Wood was "a much-loved area of natural beauty"

Buccleuch Properties applied to build the warehouses and a factory at the wood, to the north of Kettering, in 2020.

The "Save Weekley Hall Wood" (SWHW) campaign group said the wood and adjacent wildflower meadow provided a habitat for wildlife including frogs, deer and lizards.

When a planning decision had not been taken after three years, Buccleuch Properties "reluctantly" appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to bypass the local council and get an outcome.

George Baird begins hearing eight days of evidence at the council offices in Thrapston

The planning inspector, George Baird, heard eight days of evidence in December and has now published his decision.

He has rejected the appeal and refused planning permission, saying the warehouses would have been too big and would have affected the landscape.

He also cited concerns about the impact of extra traffic on local roads and the failure of the project to deliver "a high density of high-quality jobs".

Protesters mounted a vigorous campaign to save the wood, raising money to fight the plan

In a statement SWHW said: "We're all celebrating and can hardly believe it.

"We want to thank the thousands of people who signed the petition about this development and who gave so generously their time, energy and money to support us."

A spokesperson for Buccleuch Properties said: "While we are disappointed that the project cannot proceed, bringing with it the associated employment and economic growth opportunities for the area, we will reflect on the comments made as we look to the future of the area."