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Members of two Northamptonshire campaign groups have joined forces in a partnership to fight ‘inappropriate, disproportionate, and unsustainable’ developments in the Upper Nene Valley.

STAUNCH (Save Titchmarsh, Thrapston and Upper Nene Valley Countryside and Habitat) and the Nene Valley Association (NVA) will rally supporters with their joint goals.

Currently, there are plans for large warehouse developments at both ends of the A605 – two on fields between Thrapston and Titchmarsh and another at the junction with the A1 in nearby Huntingdonshire.

Carew Treffgarne from the NVA handing over a cheque to Sharon Cole, Secretary of STAUNCH, to add to the fighting fund

Plans submitted for huge business park between Thrapston and Titchmarsh

Kevin Shapland, Chair of STAUNCH, said: “Fast becoming known locally and nationally as the ‘County of Warehouses’, Northamptonshire is continuing to be consumed with large scale warehousing developments without any apparent countywide check on the overall impact to the county’s environment and communities.

“At STAUNCH we are not anti-development but believe that any large developments should be appropriate, proportionate, and sustainable within the landscape areas in which they are sited.

“It is common knowledge that there is a huge shortage of staff across the UK in the warehousing and logistics industry with employees having to be bused into the county on a daily or weekly basis from as far afield as Glasgow.

Plans have gone for development of fields between Thrapston and Titchmarsh

“We are delighted to welcome our alliance with the NVA which will only strengthen our ability to tackle these issues and ensure that the concerns of local communities are heard.”

STAUNCH was initially established in 2021 in response to plans for two large scale warehouse developments between Thrapston and Titchmarsh. The group is now working to highlight the implications of developments on the countryside, wildlife, and communities.

The Nene Valley Association (NVA), was formed by a group of east Northamptonshire residents in the 1980s and has campaigned against proposed developments in the Upper Nene Valley.

Recently, the NVA was part of the partnership between the National Trust, East Northants Council and English Heritage that stopped the erection of a wind turbine at Lyveden New Bield – thereby leading to the landmark High Court ruling safeguarding the historic landscape setting of listed buildings.

For further information regarding STAUNCH please visit www.staunchcampaign.org or email [email protected].

East Northants campaign groups join forces to fight warehouse developments