Fears over 'nightmare' Irthlingborough housing plan

Nichola Joynes lives close to the site of a proposed 105-home housing development off Nicholas Road adjacent to Tannery Cottages.

The application for the former grazing land is the area of approximately ten football pitches and she says the volume of traffic would be a 'nightmare'.

Ms Joynes, who collected 3,500-name petition against the proposed development, said: "It's going to be a nightmare - it's bad enough now.

"On Hayway, the road leading to the site, cars park either side and on the pavement.

"If you're coming up the hill you can't see because it's a blind turn. If you meet someone you have to reverse. I don't see how they think they'll get 200 extra cars up and down here.

"The majority of residents objections are centred around the location, the poor access and the very close proximity to the conservation area and the special protection area.

"We collected in excess of 3,500 signatures on a petition, this has been submitted to East Northants Council and so they are fully aware of the feelings of residents.

"We also wrote to each member of the planning committee earlier this year outlining our primary objections on access, location and infrastructure."

The original application was submitted in May 2017 but was withdrawn six months later. It was resubmitted earlier this year and the will be voted on at a meeting of East Northants Council at a meeting on Wednesday, November 20.

The plans submitted by the applicant Fermyn Woods Estates plans show that of the 105 homes to be built 30 per cent would be affordable, part of a section 106 agreement.

Planners have recommended that the planning application be granted pending a legal agreement agreeing to obligations.

Further infrastructure improvements under section 106 are: £258,680 for early years education, £220,450 for primary schools, £233,435 for secondary schools, £84,261 for healthcare and £15,604 for libraries - a total £812,430 - new equipped play areas, the introduction of a new one-way system.

In the planning report, East Northamptonshire Council – Environmental Protection (Contamination) had no objection to the planning application but said 'conditions should be placed on the permission, if granted, to investigate and remediate contamination as necessary'.

The developer must also put in mitigation measures against flooding with houses in parts of the site having to be built at a minimum 30cm above the Environment Agency's predicted flood

levels on the 'Flood Zone 2' and 60 cm above for the houses to be built on the 'Flood Zone 3'.

Ms Joynes added: "Normally, during the summer there are cattle grazing the land, but in the winter they are taken away because of the standing water.

"There is run off from the town, which is on much higher ground, and the water rises up from the Nene."

Ms Joynes said she only heard about the meeting today (Friday, November 15) when a neighbour contacted her to say she had received notice of the meeting, by letter, this morning.

An East Northamptonshire Council spokesman said: “ENC previously posted notification of the agenda for its planning management committee on a Friday to coincide with the organisation's postal date.

"Earlier this year, it aligned its processes and introduced two postal dates and the last four letters for the planning management committee have been posted after the agenda has been published online five working days before the meeting.

“Residents are able to view agendas for public meetings on the website five working days before the date of the meeting date in line with the council’s constitution.

"Relevant parties will receive letters regarding the agenda for the planning management committee inline with the development management charter, however this is not a statutory requirement.

“If residents have any questions about the planning management committee meetings they are advised to contact the team on: [email protected]”

Planning Management Committee (formerly known as Development Control Committee) meet on Wednesday, November 20 at 7.30pm.

Read the full planning document here.