Council issues stop notice to 'flagrant breach of planning control' in Kettering village

The council first gave a temporary stop notice to works going on in a plot of land to the north east side of Cransley road on Friday, October 11, but this was ignored.

A spokesman for Kettering council said: "Kettering Borough Council have, this afternoon (Tuesday), served an enforcement and permanent stop notice at the site.

"This is part of planning enforcement power that require the site owner, and any other interested parties, to cease the unauthorised use of the land and return it to its previous state."

The enforcement notice takes effect on Saturday, October 19, and allows the landowner 28 days to submit an appeal to the planning inspector.

In an email sent yesterday (Monday, October 14), the council said: "We are aware that despite [the temporary stop] notice being served the work has continued and approximately 10 vans are now on the site."

It added that it would serve a permanent stop and enforcement notice, which it did today.

Witnesses said there are now multiple caravans on the site.

In the email, the council said it would be considering what other legal action it can take.

It said: "We are aware that this is a flagrant breach of planning control and we are doing everything we can within our powers to address it."

The council added it had received a planning application from the landowner for the site yesterday (Monday, October 14).

According to witnesses, the site has caused a potentially dangerous build up of mud on the road and an increase in traffic.

A member of the public said: "Huge lorries have been working on this rural site since last Friday. So much so that today some were stuck and are causing tailbacks on the road between Cransley and Loddington."

Cllr Jim Hakewill (Independent) has been posting about the situation on his Facebook page to keep residents up to date with the situation.

In a post today (Tuesday), Cllr Hakewill said: "Please be aware of your safety and leave engaging with the situation to the officers of KBC and be aware of the road surfaces and heavy traffic that you wouldn’t be expecting to encounter on these roads."

In a statement, Cllr Hakewill said: “I was shocked, along with local villagers, as the scale of the unauthorised development became obvious last Friday and over the weekend.

"These are peaceful law abiding communities who find it impossible to understand how a tranquil environment, on the banks of a reservoir, can be destroyed in a matter of hours. I am working with parish and borough councillors, KBC and NCC officers to seek to return this pasture land and the quiet rural roads, back to their former condition as soon as possible.

"It is difficult for villagers to contain their anger at what has happened, but I would appeal to them to work with the formal legal and planning processes to find an appropriate resolution.”

Northamptonshire Police are also aware of the issues at the site and sent out an alert on the Neighbourhood Policing Team email.

The message, from PS Robert Offord, said: "The Kettering Rural Neighbourhood Policing team are aware of a sudden increase in works and development in a field on Cransley Road, Loddington.

"As a neighbourhood policing team we have been in contact with the Kettering Borough Council planning department and other partners and stakeholders in relation to this and will support them where ever appropriate.

"I understand that there may appear to be a perceived lack of action by Northamptonshire Police, however we will act upon reports of crimes where appropriate and support Kettering Borough council as and when requested and required."

If you witness anything suspicious in the area, you can call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or if you believe a crime is in progress or about to start, call 999.