Corby MP to raise controversial warehouse development with Secretary of State after council's planning cock-up

Corby MP Tom Pursglove will raise a controversial warehouse development at the highest level after a catastrophic planning cock-up.

Residents in Hooke Close are furious after work began on the nearby former Weetabix site without them being consulted.

Instead of going to Hooke Close, next to the construction site, North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) officers went to Hubble Road, a street near the other Corby Weetabix site.

Mr Pursglove told residents he would raise it with the Secretary of State when he attended a meeting at the Ennerdale Community Centre on Saturday (March 2).

He said: “I will approach the Secretary of State about the situation and ask if they have any suggestions about routes forward.”

Alongside Mr Pursglove at the meeting were Corby Labour councillors Mark Pengelly and William Colquhoun and Marion Turner-Hawes from the Save the Trees group in Wellingborough, who was offering legal advice.

Mr Pursglove listened to the concerns of the residents and, with the backing of the residents as well as Cllr Pengelly and Cllr Colquhoun, will go to NNC to raise concerns including:

- Asking for a public interest report into the matter

- Asking for clarity in regards to the complaints procedure, specifically why must go through the entire procedure.

- Asking for scrutiny into the handling of the matter

- Asking for an update on the progress of the planning enforcement work

- Asking the council whether or not they have asked the developer to pause the works on the site while the planning enforcement activity is assessed and, if not, why

A representative from the developer was also present to address concerns raised by the residents that are currently affecting them, such as intermittent WiFi, noise and vibrations and a lack of privacy due to the installation of cameras on the site.

During the meeting a resident asked Mr Pursglove, Cllr Pengelly and Cllr Colquhoun whether they believed the leader of council, Cllr Jason Smithers, should resign.

Cllr Pengelly and Cllr Colquhoun both agreed that they had no confidence in the leader. Mr Pursglove said he did not think the leader should resign.

At the meeting he said: “I think the council will be judged on the way that it grips this issue moving forward and I think there are undoubtedly trust issues that’s come about because of this.

“There undoubtedly has been catastrophic failures in the process. Officers haven’t followed the processes quite evidently that ought to have been followed and are reflected in the council’s policy and that has got us to the point we’ve found ourselves in but for me it’s about what people do next.

“I do not think the that the leader of the council should resign, that is my personal view, but that is not say that I’m not completely behind supporting you (the residents) on this issue and I will do those various things I have committed to do and I think everybody will take a judgement on the local authority based on how they handle this issue and respond to these challenges.”

Cllr Pengelly said: “Since we first picked up what’s going on, between us we’ve found a catalogue of errors made by the council. It’s very clear there’s been some sort of maladministration taking place. The council needs to ask the developer to stop the work now while this is fully investigated.”