Roadside motel near Rothwell refused planning permission

All councillors on Kettering's planning committee were against the plans.

Kettering Council’s planning committee said no to the plan by Mulberry Developments to build a new 38 bed motel close to the truck stop which opened near Junction 3 of the A14 in March last year.

There were cheers from the crowded public gallery last night (Tuesday) as all of the councillors on the committee voted against the proposal, which was being put forward as an extension to the previously successful truck stop application. The plan would have seen a green field close to the truck stop used for the motel plus 169 parking spaces.

Speaking after the meeting Rothwell councillor Jim Hakewill, who had spoken against the proposal along with fellow Rothwell councillor Karl Sumpter. said: “I’m really pleased that the committee shared all the objections. They understood, stood up for the community and made the right decision.”

At the meeting the council’s planning officers were criticised by Cllr Hakewill for accepting that the application was a minor application rather than a major application for the Rothwell area. He also complained about the lack of notice given to nearby Rothwell residents before the application came to the planning committee.

The developer was also criticised for not implementing some of the planning conditions attached to the previous truck stop application, such as planting trees as a buffer from the road.

Mike Foster from Mulberry Developments said the scheme’s car share proposal – in which workers met up for a coffee and then car share to the next destination – would have a positive impact on climate change and the Kettering Council could benefit from the proposal.

But this was treated with derision by the planning committee.

Cllr Mark Rowley said he did not think the motel plan was a bad idea until he read the report.

He said: “This won’t help climate change one iota. It is going to generate more car journeys. This is a greenfield site. There is no excuse for using greenfield.”

And Cllr Scott Edwards said the developer’s assertion the motel would be positive in terms of climate change was ‘despicable’.

The committee rejected the application because it was not in keeping with the planning masterplan for the area and would use green field land.