Northamptonshire villagers concerned over work to level a field next to busy A-road

Locals are concerned that the field is undergoing development after a new gate and fencing was installed without planning permission.

But the site’s owner says he is ‘not building anything’ and the land is simply being split into two grazing paddocks for which he says he doesn’t need planning permission.

The field is being flattened using a digger and dumper truck. The entrance to the site leads directly out onto the A-road close to the Warmington roundabout.

The site doesn’t currently have any planning permission in place. New or altered access onto major roads is usually subject to permission from the highways authority to ensure public safety.

When Northants Telegraph reporters visited yesterday a worker on site said that he was a contractor who had been paid to level the field. He declined to give his name or the name of the company he worked for and said that he did not know what the end use of the site would be.

Concerns were raised at Thursday’s Warmington Parish Council meeting over whether the field may become a traveller site. North Northamptonshire councillors, as well as the MP Lee Barron, have been alerted and are working with residents to monitor potential planning issues at the site.

One local who did not wish to be named said: “The residents of the villages of Warmington, Tansor, Fotheringhay, and Elton are concerned about the potential imminent arrival of a traveller site on land adjacent to the A605 Warmington Services.

"There are currently diggers levelling the site and they have installed new fencing and gates, despite no planning application on the land. Apparently there has been recent activity around the site suggesting that it’s being prepped for travellers to move in.

"Furthermore, they seem to have put in a new/widened access to the field, directly from the A605 next to the slip road for Warmington Services, which is dangerous and likely illegal on a busy A-road, and therefore an urgent issue for highways.”

Official documents show the land was sold in May last year to tree contractor John Buckley who lives at a large traveller site off the A14 in Elmswell, Bury St Edmunds.

Mr Buckley said: “The land is being levelled out and grass seeded and stock fencing is going to be installed all the way round the edge of the land, and then it will be split in two grazing paddocks.

“I don’t need planning permission for this because I’m not building anything.”

Councils have the power to issue temporary stop notices to prevent unauthorised work on sites such as this, but only once development has begun.

Jon Humberstone (Cons, Oundle) said that he had been contacted by multiple people who live near the site and had raised the issue as an urgent matter with the council.

He said: “There are valid concerns over planning enforcement, highways and the environment and we want urgent answers.”

Ward councillor Simon Fairhall (Liberal Democrat, Oundle) said that he has been contacted by several parish councils and members of the public and had made representations to senior council members and officers.

A North Northamptonshire Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the site, will monitor the situation and consider our options before taking the appropriate steps.

“We can understand the concerns locally and will do our best to keep local councillors updated.”

Update, Sunday, March 15 – MP Lee Barron visited Warmington over the weekend to speak to locals. He told the Northants Telegraph: "Earlier today I was able to visit Warmington to see for myself what work has started on site.

“My office was first made aware Thursday afternoon by villagers and my office immediately contacted both the police and senior officers at North Northamptonshire Council.”

He added that he had asked NCC to keep him fully up to date on progress at the site.