Countryside campaign group renews objection to proposed Kettering Energy Park and invites public to meeting
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Northamptonshire has renewed its objection to the proposed Kettering Energy Park development encouraging residents to attend an information meeting tomorrow (Wednesday).
If given permission, Kettering Energy Park would cover the area of 550 football pitches on land between Burton Latimer, Finedon, Great Addington and Cranford, stretching 2.5-miles across Burton Wold.
Developer First Renewable Developments Ltd, the company behind the plans, is proposing to invest £500m at Kettering Energy Park.
CPRE Northamptonshire says the applicant’s latest submissions fail to address the fundamental planning concerns identified over the past year.
Kevin Binley, CPRE Northamptonshire trustee, said: “Despite thousands of pages of additional information, the fundamental issues remain unchanged.
“This proposal is not simply an energy project. It is one of the largest industrial and logistics developments ever proposed in North Northamptonshire, covering around 1.6 million square metres of countryside.”
CPRE argues that the revised proposals continue to conflict with the North Northamptonshire Local Plan and national policy.
The development would result in the permanent industrialisation of a significant area of open countryside.
The organisation raises continuing concerns over the loss of productive farmland, significant landscape harm, impacts on internationally protected wildlife, and unresolved biodiversity issues. It also questions the adequacy of the transport assessment.
CPRE believes the development would generate about 13,600 vehicle movements every day, including more than 3,100 HGV movements. This would place considerable additional pressure on the A14, Junction 11 and surrounding rural roads.
Mr Binley added: “This proposal would permanently transform one of the county’s most prominent areas of open countryside into a vast industrial estate. Once this landscape is lost, it is lost forever. We believe residents deserve to understand exactly what is being proposed and what it could mean for North Northamptonshire.”
To help residents understand the planning application, Mr Binley will give a public presentation on Wednesday (July 22) at 7.30pm at Kettering Arts Centre, St Andrew’s Church, Kettering.
The event, open to everyone, will offer a ‘clear, factual explanation of the proposal, the planning process, and the key issues’ that North Northamptonshire Council must consider before reaching a decision.
Non-political, the presentation is aimed at helping residents understand ‘the scale of the proposal, its potential impacts, and how they can participate in the planning process’ before the consultation closes.
CPRE Northamptonshire encourages anyone with an interest in the future of North Northamptonshire's countryside to attend.
For further information regarding the public information evening or CPRE Northamptonshire's objection to the Kettering Energy Park application, please contact the organiser of the event by emailing [email protected] or calling 01604 780000.