Protestors to attend Desborough planning meeting to quiz councillors over unpopular Ise Valley housing plans

Protestors will attend the council meeting to raise their concerns.

The LADS group (Land at Desborough South) will be attending the Desborough Town Council planning meeting at 7pm at the town’s library.

It is one of a number of protests over the application, which would see houses built on arguably the town’s most nature-rich area of land, after an overwhelming 97 per cent of responses at the first consultation stage vented their disapproval.

The meeting is expected to see a high turnout with key questions put to councillors and banners displayed outside.

A LADS spokesman said: “Desborough residents are shell-shocked at the unusual joint venture between Kettering Council and the Central Co-Operative which has submitted controversial plans to build 304 houses in the nature-rich Ise Valley.

“We got a couple of hundred signatures opposing the plans yesterday (Sunday) and will continue to get more.

“The general consensus of the town is that it can’t happen and is not going to happen.

“We are vocal in our concerns and feel that we are being listened to by the Desborough Town Council but we are unsure about Kettering Council.

“It seems as though both us and them have our objectives but they see financial value and we see community value.

“The objections unanimously point to the fact Desborough already has enough land allocated for development to meet its 15-year housing requirement with sufficient sites available to meet the town’s housing requirements until 2031.

“This allocated land also has the right infrastructure, specifically for the predicted increase in vehicle movements, to accommodate this future growth of the town.

“Development of the Ise Valley has been kept off limits as it continues to be recognised in borough and county planning documents as providing essential green infrastructure.

“Recently the land was audited to be formally designated as historically and visually important but conveniently fell one point short.

“Northamptonshire has one of the lowest biodiversity indexes in England but the Ise Valley bucks the trend with abundant wildlife and provides much needed tranquil open space for the enjoyment, health and well-being of Desborough and Rothwell communities.

“This outline planning application will be determined in April and follows another planning application submitted for 147 houses in the Ise Valley, consultations for a further 100 houses to the east of Desborough and an initial consultation for a further 275 properties to the north-west of the town.”