Adherence to Local Plan

The Local Plan stipulates that any development in this area should be a mixture of B1, B2, and B8 use and “conserve the tranquillity of the natural and build environment in South Northamptonshire.”  Supplementary planning guidance sets 80k sq ft as the maximum size of any unit. In addition, it states that any development must be “respectful to heritage assets and their settings, biodiversity, and the environmental character of the locality.” 

The proposed site will be between 48% and 90% B8 use, with serious detrimental impact upon the rural villages and communities. The largest unit will be 350k sq ft. An independent Environmental Consultant commented that the development will be “Quite extraordinarily incongruous to its location and threatens significant impacts on the landscape.” How has WNC allowed the application to proceed contrary to its own requirements?

Peter Frampton, representing the developer, thinks these requirements are "guidelines not tramlines" signalling their intention to ignore the restrictions WNC added specifically to protect small rural communities like ours.  Once this precedent is set - future developments will be a free-for-all.

Going against National Planning Policy Framework. 

To date, this application has not fulfilled requirements relating to consultation, flood risk, enhancement of local environment, biodiversity, ground contamination, pollution (of all types).