‘Full' planning permission given for re-positioned main access route into Chelveston Energy Innovation Park despite objections

‘Full’ planning permission has been granted for a re-positioned main access route into Chelveston Energy Innovation Park despite public objections.

A total of 20 public objections were submitted to the plans for a new access route into the Northamptonshire energy park.

The proposed road into Chelveston Energy Innovation Park (CEIP) is approximately 100 metres away from the nearest residential homes, in Cheslton Rise- a former military-turned-private housing estate.

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) gave plans the green light at a planning committee meeting on November 22 despite objections being made.

Residents’ concerns included the impact of additional traffic in Chelston Rise and Caldecott, the access point being too close to housing and creating noise pollution for residents, potential queuing back from the new access route being dangerous, and the general impact on the peace and quiet in the semi-rural location.

These points were echoed by Higham Ferrers Town Council and Chelveston-cum-Caldecott Parish Council who also submitted objections.

They asked NNC to refuse the application and to continue using the original access route further down Church Lane, where it has less of an impact on residents.

Though Higham Ferrers didn’t submit a formal objection, they highlighted resident concerns and pointed out that the already approved access route has a greater ability to contend with potential queues

Developers of the energy park, which was approved by the former East Northamptonshire Council in 2021, impressed a need for the new road and security gatehouse as it would create a ‘higher quality dedicated ‘business park’ style’ main access route and could separate traffic from the CEIP and the adjoining Chelvston Renewable Energy Park (CREP) which currently share site access.

The renewable energy park is one of the UK’s largest mainland renewable energy production facilities and uses a combination of wind turbines, solar panels, an anaerobic digestion building, and a battery storage building.

The energy generated is primarily exported to the National Grid, however more energy is produced than can be accommodated.

The CEIP will provide a range of highly sustainable employment floorspace with direct access to renewable electricity from the facilities at the adjacent CREP site.

A large new business unit has been constructed as the first phase of employment development on the site.

The CEIP and CREP are located on the former RAF Chelveston Airfield, which was in use from 1941 to 1977.

It later became a military signals station until it ceased all operations in 2003 and was sold to the developer, Federal Estates.

The proposed new road has been designed to follow a previous military access route into the base, which remains grassed-over concrete.

National Highways wrote that the proposal is ‘unlikely to have a significant impact on the operation of the Strategic Road Network’.

The application was approved subject to a noise monitoring and mitigation scheme, and an hours of work agreement for the construction phase.