Town and parish councils send open letter objecting to 'disaster' plans for Kettering Energy Park

The seven councils close to Burton Wold, the site chosen for Kettering Energy Park if built, would see an area developed more than twice the size of nearby Burton Latimer.

Signed by Burton Latimer and Finedon Town Councils as well as Cranford, Grafton Underwood, Woodford, Little Addington and Titchmarsh Parish Councils, the letter expresses their ‘strong objections’ to the plans.

It said: “We would like to express our strong objection to the revised Kettering Energy Park Master Plan development by First Renewables Ltd.

“The new revisions presented at the public meeting in Finedon and on the First Renewables website have done nothing to alter the concerns and objections of our constituents. This development clearly does not have the support of local residents, nor local councillors and MPs, and would be a disaster for the local area.”

The councils have ‘strongly urged’ NNC to consider their concerns and ensure they meet their obligations under Policy 26 of the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy (NNJCS) before lending its support to this development.

The policy explicitly emphasises that proposed developments should be sustainable, environmentally friendly and meet the needs of the local population.

They said: “The Kettering Energy Park fails to align with these core principles, as it poses significant risks to our natural resources, wildlife habitats and the delicate ecological balance of the area. The revisions proposed by the developer do nothing to alter its failure to align with those core principles.

“The proposed site sits in open countryside adjoining the Nene Valley from which it will be highly visible. There are no confirmed customers wishing to locate to this development so it is entirely speculative, financially motivated and contrary to sustainable development. The reduction in height from 30m to 25m is insignificant given the location is on one of the highest points in North Northamptonshire making it the most visible site in the county. The UK Warehousing Association reports that the average warehouse height in the UK has risen from 11m to 14m – 25m is double this height.

“Many recent reports including the Climate Change Committee’s 2022 report to Parliament note that action is needed to support a modal shift away from car travel if the UK is to meet its net zero carbon status by 2050. The location of this site being in open countryside with no public transport links contradicts this.

“The scale of the site would see the potential for over 11,000 vehicle movements per day and the resulting significant increase in traffic through Finedon at the A510/A6 roundabout would bring the town to a standstill at certain times of the day. The road network through all surrounding villages would see a significant increase in volumes resulting in a negative impact on air pollution, noise, congestion and quality of life.

“The wind farm and the electricity they generate are not owned or controlled by the proposer, therefore any claims regarding the use of generated power from the wind farm to power the developments are misleading and incorrect. This fundamentally calls into question the whole basis of the proposal and is a constraint to delivery of the Master Plan.

"The consented solar farm which has yet to be built does not have the capacity to provide renewable energy on a 24-hour x 365-day basis and so any development would be reliant upon the import of electricity from the National Grid, in direct conflict with the Joint Core Strategy and the marketed purpose of an Energy Park.

“As part of the revisions there has been much made of the reduction in area of the warehouse footprint but little is made of the offsetting increase in hydroponics and/or advanced agriculture. This increase will undoubtedly require more energy and also 24/7 lighting which will significantly increase the light pollution in the area.

“The farm land on the Burton Wold is categorised as a combination of best and most versatile land and good grade 3b land and should be conserved in accordance with the National Planning Policy framework paragraph 180. In fact, we all take pride in local businesses like Weetabix promoting this land and the high-quality local produce it delivers. It is unacceptable to be ripping this land up and reducing food security further.

“This is a beautiful area close to Burton Latimer and is the last bit of open countryside that the residents of Burton Latimer can access directly. The areas assigned for biodiversity net gains will in no way offset the damage caused by this development and in order to achieve this the developer will in all likelihood end up buying statutory biodiversity credits which whilst achieving a paper gain will in fact result in a loss to the local population.

“Considering these issues, we believe that the Kettering Energy Park is not in the best interest of our communities. We implore the council to reconsider this development and instead focus on alternative renewable energy solutions that are in harmony with the local environment and enjoy the backing of the people they will impact.

“We request that the council does not support this development. It is imperative that the council upholds Policy 26 and prioritises the long-term well-being of its constituents over short-sighted development proposals which would appear to be more about additional warehousing than green energy.

“We urge you to act in the best interest of the local electorate and ensure that our collective voices are heard and respected. Let us work together to find sustainable solutions that protect our environment and enhance the quality of life for current and future generations in our communities.”