Friday brief: new holiday campsite near Oundle gets approval
News from across the county
Plans to convert a courtyard of agricultural buildings in the Northamptonshire countryside into a small holiday site have been given the go-ahead.
The site comprises a number of farm units near the village of Blatherwycke, which is six miles northeast of Corby off the A43. The applicant proposed transforming the five mid-19th century barns and stables on site into six small holiday homes, along with a café and other retail units on site.
According to the plans, the six holiday let barn conversions will range in size from one to three beds and have their own living and dining space, kitchen, bathrooms and terrace areas.
The small café on site will sell hot and cold drinks and some food. One of the larger rental units on site has been proposed to be used as a bicycle rental facility.
A further two small units have also been given permission within the courtyard buildings. The estate itself is likely to use part of the space to sell some of its own produce to visitors.
Applicant F & A George Ltd wrote in a planning statement:
“The buildings form an important part of local history and, although not worthy of listing in their own right, sit comfortably and attractively on the side of the lake.
“The proposed facility will increase visitor numbers, enable more people to appreciate the history of the surroundings, provide low-level employment and generally make use of existing buildings which, without a future, would fall further into disrepair.”
It added that there was ‘substantial’ demand locally for holiday accommodation and listed a number of attractions nearby for short-term visits, including Fineshade Woods, Rutland Water to the north, and the market towns of Stamford and Oundle.
The existing vehicular accesses from Blatherwycke Road will be retained and used for all guests. A new carpark will also be built to the north of the buildings.
North Northamptonshire Council decided to grant planning permission for the development on Monday, March 24.
Report by Nadia Lincoln
News in brief
A former teacher convicted of 29 sex offences against boys has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Former Rushden South End Junior School teacher Robert Gould, 74, committed the offences against 14 boys in the 1970s and 1980s when working as a teacher and also leader at Park Road Methodist Church youth group.
The majority of the abuse took place during school time.
During his trial a number of victims gave evidence and there was testimony from a man, who has now died, but was raped aged just ten, in a storage cupboard. Other offences took place at the Park Road Methodist Church in Rushden, on a school trip to Wales, and during the school’s chess club sessions.
An investigation into Gould was launched in March 2021 when an online report was made by one of the men. It then turned into a major investigation as more and more survivors came forward.
Gould, previously of Wellingborough Road, Rushden, was found guilty on January 27 this year, on 29 charges. He was sentenced on Wednesday.
Speaking outside court after the hearing, lead investigator Detective Constable Alice Hornsby from Northamptonshire Police’s SOLAR Team, said:
“Robert Gould may have thought that he’d gotten away with his crimes but this case goes to show that it doesn’t matter how much time has passed, convictions for sexual abuse can still be achieved and Northamptonshire Police will always do everything it can to secure them.
“I’d also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service for their support in this case. We have had a strong partnership from the very beginning of the investigation and together, have managed to secure these guilty verdicts.
“Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to make an appeal to anyone who has suffered sexual abuse but has not yet come forward. Please contact us. We will believe you and we will do everything we can to bring your abuser to justice.”
If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, please come forward by calling 101 or via the online reporting tool at www.northants.police.uk.
Building works on two major council housing schemes in Northampton have been completed following a series of delays to the projects.
Construction at the former Spring Boroughs council housing estate, off Horsemarket, and the new Southbridge apartments by the University of Northampton’s waterside campus has now finished, according to Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH).
Before the 52 properties are transferred to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) for allocation, a series of building control and planning department formalities need to be checked. The authority previously stated that both social housing schemes were expected to be completed by December 2024.
Before that, the 24-home development on Castle Street was initially projected to be finished last Spring. The modern three-storey homes follow on from the demolition of Berkeley House and St Mary’s Court in April 2021 after they were deemed ‘no longer fit for purpose’.
Works on the new apartment complex on New South Bridge Road, which includes 28 one and two-bed flats, were also delayed. Funding for the project was awarded to the council through the Brownfield Land Release Funding (BLRF) to unlock council-owned sites for housing and cover the costs of remedial works.
An NPH spokesperson said both developments faced “unexpected challenges” during construction. Castle Street, in particular, experienced significant labour shortages and changes in legislation meant certain aspects around compliance needed to be re-visited.
They added:
“NPH has been committed to maintaining the delivery of quality homes in Northampton and have worked closely with local contractors to ensure the required standards were met. Contractors are now in a position to hand over the sites to NPH.”
As a result of the delays, NPH has confirmed that some cost implications are anticipated but the total figure has not yet been finalised.
Across West Northamptonshire, just seven council homes were delivered between April and December of last year, despite aiming for higher targets. A WNC spokesperson said they had identified viability issues with several large developments, which has ‘significantly impacted’ the number of new council homes delivered this financial year.
“A new Housing Delivery Board has also been created comprising members from a range of sectors within the housing industry, with the aims of promoting innovative approaches to housing delivery and quality enhancement across West Northants.”
WNC also said it had launched an affordable housing plan at the end of last year, setting out its commitment to accelerate delivery and supply a minimum of 650 affordable homes per year by 2029/30.
Report by Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
Falling birthrates throughout the last decade have led to thousands of school places being left empty across West Northamptonshire. Demand forecasts continue to point to a decline in pupil numbers over the next five years according to the local authority.
West Northants Council (WNC) has revealed that up to a quarter of the region’s reception school places are in surplus. Council officers have warned of the knock-on effect of the financial implications from plummeting pupil numbers on school budgets.
According to data published at the start of March 2025, across all primary schools, one in ten places in the classroom have not been filled with a child. In some local areas, this surplus level is as high as 30 per cent.
There are currently 855 extra spaces in West Northants secondary schools and 3,896 empty spots in primary.
Report by Nadia Lincoln
A huge community clean up of Kettering’s town centre will take place tomorrow. Organised by Green Party councillor Emily Fedorowycz, the clean up is taking place from 10am to 2pm, followed by a street party. People are asked to meet at the clock tower in High Street and take along their own supplies.
Westminster Watch
Kettering’s MP held a forum for residents of a housing estate long plagued with issues.
More than 100 residents attended the event last Saturday and shared their stories about how high fees, poor infrastructure and other problems have affected them.
The Leasehold Advisory Service, Citizens Advice and Little Stanion Parish Council were also present at the meeting to hear from concerned residents and answer their questions.
Construction work on the estate began more than a decade ago but parts remain unfinished, with developer JME Developments entering administration last year.
Labour MP Rosie, whose constituency now includes the Corby estate after boundary changes before last year’s election, said:
“Ever since I became the election candidate I have been picking up issues on the doorstep in Little Stanion so I was pleased to hold this meeting.
“Everyone should feel safe and secure in their homes but residents have told me stories of exorbitant fees, poor services, problems with unadopted roads and a lack of transparency.
“It’s clear the situation is untenable and many people living there do not have the dream that they were sold. It was important that people in Little Stanion were able to tell me what they want to see change so we can collectively look at the next steps.”
This month the Labour Government published a white paper on commonhold – meaning that people would own the buildings they live in, have a direct stake in choosing how their buildings and shared facilities are managed, and have a greater say over the bills they pay.
This comes alongside a commitment to tackling ‘fleecehold’, with a consultation on the options to reduce the prevalence of arrangements where people own their homes but have to pay fees for maintenance of the estate.
Celebration of local news
NN Journal attended an event at Buckingham Palace hosted by the King and Queen this week to celebrate regional news. Along with the Northants Telegraph, we attended the event, after which the monarch issued a statement in which he praised the ‘unique and vital role [local media] plays in society, perhaps even more so in these uncertain times.’
He said:
“Your reporting, and the work of all those who support you, helps amplify and reaffirm the rights and responsibilities we all share. It shines a light in dark corners, exposing injustice and wrongdoing. Above all, it helps strengthen our communities, in times of joy and at moments of sorrow.
“You won’t always get it right. A free media is one that will and does make mistakes. But at its best, it is a cornerstone of our democracy.”
NN Journal is a member of the Public Interest News Foundation (PINF), whose mission is to find a way to help fund local news. The industry is in crisis, as evidenced by the diminishing number of local reporters, both within the local newspapers and the local BBC.
This is catastrophic for local democracy and means that communities will end up being largely informed by social media, which is often fuelled by rumour and served up without fact check.
After a year-long research project PINF this week published its Regenerating Local News in the UK report, which advocates for a number of new initiatives to save local news including the government creating a fund to support small publishers.
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