Council approves plans to take forward proposals for a Travellers temporary stopping site near Kettering
North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) will move forward with proposals for a Travellers temporary stopping site near Kettering after the executive voted in favour of the plans at a meeting this week.
The council had previously been looking at a stopping site adjacent to Junction 3 of the A14, near Rothwell, however a further viability review found that it would not be suitable.
It is now proposed that a stopping site is built on a site south of Junction 11 of the A14 near the village of Woodford – on a site currently used by the council as a chippings store, known as ‘Generals Corner’.
NNC does not currently have a dedicated stopping site to serve Travellers passing through the area.
Though the executive unanimously voted to move forward with the project at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday, November 11), nothing has been set in stone and any plans would be subject to targeted public consultation before the scheme can move forward to the formal planning process.
Cllr Joseph Garner, who is a ward member for Thrapston, raised concerns about the location proposed and asked the council to properly consult residents on the plans before planning approval is given.
He warned: “There is a strong feeling locally within my ward amongst both residents and town and parish councils that the planning process is not something which is undertaken in partnership with them and is done to them.
“It is absolutely critical that residents and town and parish councils feel they are being listened to and involved in the planning process.”
Another Thrapston representative, Cllr David Brackenbury, added that in previous iterations of the stopping site proposal, which earmarked green space in Rothwell for the project, there was a ‘common theme’ in objections around a lack of communication and the feeling it was a ‘done deal’.
“Make sure that consultation is real and meaningful,” he told executive members.
“It is crucial that a Travellers stopping site is managed properly and that the regulations of that Travellers stopping site are both understood and enforced.
“That will give the maximum benefit for those who are using the stopping site, for the council officers who have to administer it and of course for residents in the area.”
It is hoped that the site would reduce the impact of unauthorised Traveller encampments by providing a safe and secure place to stop with minimum suitable welfare facilities for groups of Travellers passing through North Northamptonshire for a period of up to 28 days.
So far in 2025, there have been 91 new unauthorised encampments across West and North Northants, with NNC stating that this number is rising as they have no control over numbers of Traveller groups that may visit.
With a Travellers stopping site located in North Northants, police will be able to use Section 62 powers to ask unauthorised camps to move to the dedicated site, or leave the county and not return within 12 months.
Groups who choose to stay at the site will also be subject to paying £120 per week per pitch, plus a security deposit of £250 to cover any damage upfront.
Cllr Kirk Harrison, executive member for regulatory services, said he acknowledged that there is likely to be local opposition to the site and that he will do everything he can to mitigate concerns.
He continued: “Generals Corner remains the only suitable option that the council has in terms of sites that it controls and owns. This is a temporary site – in fact, there’s a degree of anticipation that it’s unlikely to be used very often, if at all.
“We’re currently dealing with unauthorised encampments, which have been on the rise since we came out of Covid, and they’re expensive and time-consuming.
“It’s not a done deal, it’s very much up for consideration and this is the start of a very long process that will hopefully allow us to reduce unauthorised encampments going forward.
“The bottom line, I’m afraid, is that North Northants needs a stopping site.”
When the first Travellers temporary stopping site proposals were presented in 2023, a capital budget of £1.3m was approved to build out the facilities.
Council bosses say the alternative site near Junction 11 is recommended based on value for money and should be delivered within the overall budget.
NNC leader Cllr Martin Griffiths added: “This administration, this executive will take the decisions, often the tough decisions, that the previous administration failed to do.
“There will be widespread consultation on this and we urge everybody to take part in that consultation.”
The executive also said that alternative sites not in the ownership of NNC, and that it may not currently know about, will also be taken into account during this consultation process.