Major Rushden development with supermarket, care home and drive-thru unit could be approved this week

A major development including a supermarket, 60-bed care home and drive-thru unit could be approved this week despite dozens of objections.

Plans for the Rushden Gateway development on land north of Northampton Road and south of the A45 in Rushden will be discussed by councillors tomorrow (Thursday) night.

Ashfield Land Developments Ltd wants to build a supermarket, non-food retail floorspace, a drive-thru unit, 60-bed care home and business floorspace as well as a new area of public space on the site.

A single vehicular point of access onto Northampton Road is being proposed, with associated highway alterations to form a new roundabout, and there would be three pedestrian access points.

There would be temporary employment during construction as well as permanent opportunities afterwards, with the applicant forecasting that the equivalent of 486 full-time jobs would be created by the plans.

But despite the potential jobs boost, more than 80 representations have been received, including some people writing in more than once.

A 100-page report prepared for councillors ahead of tomorrow's meeting says 'almost all' the representations are in opposition.

The objections include it being an 'unwanted and unnecessary development,' over-development of the site with poor design and layout, and disappointment with the landmark buildings which do not create a positive first impression of the town.

Other concerns include numerous highways issues, no need for additional warehouses, supermarkets, eateries and takeaways here, that additional retail will kill the town centre, air quality concerns and noise pollution.

Ward councillor Dorothy Maxwell is among those objecting to the plans.

She has written to the Secretary of State via Peter Bone MP to request that a holding objection is placed on this application until the Skew Bridge roundabout is improved/remodelled.

However, no response from the Secretary of State has been received yet.

Cllr Maxwell told the Northants Telegraph that they have been fighting this application for five years and added: "We are hoping it will get turned down, but it needs to be turned down for the right reasons.

"The whole thing is still not right.

"I am sending out letters to 2,000 residents to let them know what's going on."

Cllr Maxwell has described the proposed development as 'nuts' and added: "The whole thing really is not acceptable."

As well as residents being against the plans, concerns or objections have been received from RPC Containers, Waitrose, Asda and Ellandi, the owners of Kettering's Newlands Centre.

Rushden Town Council as well as Higham Ferrers and Irthlingborough Town Councils have also objected.

But despite the objections, officers have recommended the application is granted subject to a satisfactory Section 106 planning agreement being secured.

In its conclusion, the report prepared for councillors says: "A considerable amount of work has been undertaken by the applicant to overcome earlier issues such as highway impact, noise, amenity, layout, design, visual impact, flood risk, drainage and archaeology.

"The applicant has also successfully demonstrated that there is very little interest in the marketplace for a hotel on the site."

The meeting of East Northants Council's planning management committee starts at 6.30pm tomorrow (Thursday).

A live stream will be made available for members of the public and press, a link to which will be made available at www.eastnorthamptonshire.gov.uk on the day of the meeting.

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