Controversial Geddington housing plan rejected

The outline in red shows where the homes would have been built

A controversial bid to build 20 homes in Geddington was rejected by councillors on Tuesday night (July 19).

On the UK’s hottest day on record Kettering’s area planning committee met to decide Larkfleet Homes’ application to build the houses, on land off Stamford Road.

The plan was branded an ‘environmental disaster’ by one villager, with fears raised about flooding after the village was badly affected in December 2020.

An artist's impression of the proposed homes

It had been recommended for approval by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) planning officers, who said adding planning conditions would address any flooding risks associated with surface water drainage.

Cllr John Padwick, from Geddington, Newton and Little Oakley Parish Council, said councillors were concerned about the flooding issue. And after hearing about the lack of a shop, the threat of the removal of the bus service and lack of places at the village’s primary school, NNC councillors unanimously refused the plan.

Cllr Padwick said: “I was really pleased that councillors understood the difficulties for the village that this planning application would have caused for Geddington.

"The developers hadn't even bothered to speak to the parish council about it to understand the local issues.

"The decision to refuse it showed that councillors were putting the need of the community before the greed of developers."

In their application Larkfleet had said the development would bring much needed affordable rural housing to those who need it the most and would complement the existing village of Geddington.