Relief and delight as developer drops plan to build road through Kettering's Green Patch

A charity boss says she’s relieved after a developer dropped a plan to build a road which would have destroyed Kettering’s Green Patch.

The masterplan for Hanwood Park – which will eventually have up to 5,500 homes – suggested a link road could be built across the flagship community garden site and over the River Ise.

The threat of the road looming over them meant Groundwork Northamptonshire, which has run the Green Patch since 2007, had to hold back on projects there.

But now they can finally move forward after developer Hanwood Park agreed the road was no longer appropriate and removed it from their plans.

Kate Williams, chief executive of Groundwork Northamptonshire, said: “This road posed a significant threat to a massive community asset, so we are extremely relieved it has now been removed from the development plans.

“We have been working hard behind the scenes to get this proposed link road permanently taken out of the Hanwood Park masterplan and are grateful for Hanwood Park’s approach. Success means we can move forwards as an organisation without this threat constantly looming over us.

“Groundwork Northamptonshire is at the heart of so many local partnerships and this good news means we can now realise the potential of these. We are increasingly being asked to lead on all kinds of projects, but the threat of this road – which would have destroyed the Green Patch – means we have had to hold back. Now, we can move forwards. We feel valued, are valued and can now continue to focus on what we do best – supporting and serving our local communities.”

The Green Patch, on the edge of Kettering’s Grange estate, has been visited by more than 4,000 people in the last 12 months. Every year the team there runs 1,500 specialist workshops and activities, cooks and prepares more than 500 meals, prepares about 300 vegetable boxes, provides more than 2,000kg of food to the local community and soaks up 232.2kg of carbon thanks to its green roofs. It was recently designated as an asset of community value.

The plan to put a road through the site had previously been described as ‘absolutely not acceptable’. Hanwood Park developers have listened – and are now exploring a pedestrian and cycle link in the area instead.

Chris Langdon, Hanwood Park’s project director, said: “Hanwood Park recognises the value that the Green Patch provides to the local community and wants to work with them to support a long-term partnership. This has been the strong sentiment expressed to us locally by residents, members of the Green Patch and local representatives who are rightly deeply proud of all that has been achieved.

"This includes its recent recognition by Kettering Town Council and North Northamptonshire Council as an asset of community value. An access road across the Green Patch is clearly no longer appropriate and so we decided to remove it from our development proposals. Instead, we are exploring a pedestrian and cycle link in this location which would also provide better local connectivity.

“In due course an updated masterplan for the current outline application will be presented at our next consultation event and submitted to the local planning authority.”

Councillors who represent the area said they were delighted that the link road across the Green Patch site – which would have connected into Elizabeth Road and onwards to Stamford Road – had been dropped from plans.

Cllr Clark Mitchell (Lab, Avondale Grange) said that the threat to the Green Patch was one of the reasons he first stood to be a councillor.

He said: “To hear that the Green Patch is saved makes the many years of raising the issue at dozens and dozens of meetings worthwhile.”

Cllr Anne Lee (Lab, Windmill) said: “This is superb news. Cllr Clark Mitchell and I have been pushing for this for so long. I am grateful to Chris Langdon who met up with the trustees of the Green Patch and who listened to our concerns. We explained that decimating the Green Patch was unthinkable, and they have acted accordingly.”

Cllr Robin Carter (Con, Windmill) and Cllr Carolyn Carter (Con, Avondale Grange) added: “We are thrilled to hear that Hanwood Park have listened to the views of residents, councillors and the Green Patch team and decided not to build a road through the Green Patch. A road through this area would have been devastating.

“Also, if this road had gone ahead traffic problems would have built up in Elizabeth Road and the surrounding area. This would have come to a head at Stamford Road. Now this has been avoided. The proposed pedestrian and cycle path is a positive attribute for this area.

“The Green Patch is a fabulous asset for all ages of the local community and beyond and we will continue to support it wholeheartedly.”

Last month Groundwork Northamptonshire launched a new #CelebratingGreenPatch campaign, designed to raise the profile of the Green Patch and to help attract even more visitors, volunteers and supporters. They’ve now released a video as part of the scheme.

Launching the campaign, Ms Williams said: “The Green Patch has grown into a thriving and essential community asset, one that makes a difference to the lives of hundreds of local people every week and is embedded in the fabric of the Kettering community.

"We want to ensure this unique green space is preserved and protected for both the people of today and for the generations to come.”