Friday brief: Slow progress on high street pilot project
Plus news from across the county this Friday
More than a year on from a pilot project to bring empty high street properties back into use and North Northamptonshire Council has not committed to an area to focus on.
Last March NNC was one of eight councils selected to take part in the national scheme which would give it powers to compel landlords to lease out properties with a successful bidder through a new auction process.
Some councils in the pilot have moved on at pace with the project and are using the powers to upgrade their high streets, but almost 15 months on and NNC has not as yet identified which high streets will be targeted. It has conducted a review on high street vacancy rates across the area, but has not published the data.
A North Northants wide consultation carried out earlier this year had more than 120 responses with almost all in favour of the council using the auction process to rejuvenate areas that are vacant.
But there will need to be a further consultation once the council’s executive chooses an area it wants to focus on.
NN Journal asked some questions of the authority and it said:
“Work continues on the High Street Rental Auctions pilot. Currently, the council is assessing vacancy levels across the potential high street areas to ensure they meet the Government’s criteria.
“We expect this work to be completed imminently and a public consultation will then begin which will be promoted through the council’s usual channels.
“We have taken a cautious approach to ensure any high street designation is based on robust and defensible evidence. Establishing accurate vacancy data across multiple town centres has taken longer than anticipated, particularly to ensure consistency and compliance with Government guidance. This approach is intended to provide a stronger foundation for future action, which may include serving formal notices against the owners of long-term vacant property.
“Once the public consultation has taken place, the results will be compiled into a report and submitted for consideration by the council’s Executive. A high street designation will be made following that process.
When the project was approved by the former Conservative administration last year, the then leader Cllr Jason Smithers, said:
“Schemes like this bring massive benefits to areas across the country. But it’s also about thinking locally and we know that high streets in North Northants have been through a considerable change over the last couple of years. We are committed to doing all we can to help boost high streets across the local area, which will in turn create jobs, improve the local economy and improve the overall appearance of our high streets.”
A number of towns in the North Northants area need investment. The authority agreed that Wellingborough is most in need of regeneration and will develop a masterplan, so it could be that the high street auctions are focused there.
The council came under criticism earlier this year for agreeing to sell off the Jackson’s Lane car park close to the town centre.
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Other news from Northants
Plans to build homes on a popular golf course have led to protests.
Under the draft Local Plan, 300 homes could be built on a section of land at Collingtree Park Golf Club, near Windingbrook Lane. Concerns have been raised that the proposals would see the sports facility destroyed, alongside the loss of the community hub and green space for the area.
Hundreds of potential housing sites across West Northamptonshire went out to consultation earlier this year, including the Collingtree plans. The final Plan will set out the direction of development across the area up to 2043.
Speaking at the demonstration held at the Northampton Guildhall Saturday Conservative Hunsbury councillor Pinder Chauhan said:
“We’re trying now to call on the new administration to remove this out of the Local Plan. Not only are we talking about the golf course here, it’s about all of the biodiversity on that land with the deer, the muntjac, the otters, the kites.
“People need houses, but just not here; they need some allocation elsewhere. I know the government has increased housing targets which is putting pressure on councils, but we’ve got to think about this sustainably and not do lazy planning and not build on the golf course because that’s the easiest thing to do.
“There’s no replacement of land, so it will mean the shutting down of that facility. That’s why the residents are here – it’s not against the building, it’s against the fact that it takes away local facilities.
“[Collingtree Park Golf Club is] part of our local identity, it’s part of the history of Northamptonshire, and it brings into the local Northampton economy as well.”
Iain Tait has been a member of the golf course for over 25 years. He said the proposed 300 homes would lead to the loss of the facility, which has both junior and senior members.
“We just want to have our voices heard,” he said.
“National planning policy says you’re not allowed to remove sporting facilities without replacing them with something for like or better – there’s no talk in the local plan about any replacement.
“Ultimately, I think everybody that moved to that area or plays golf on that golf course came here to be close to the natural beauty, the pathways, the wildlife and the accessibility of it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.”
Collingtree Park Golf Club was first opened in 1990 by the former British & US Open Champion, Johnny Miller.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about the local plan and the allocation of the golf course, leader of West Northants Council Mark Arnull said:
“It’s the direction from central government to produce a local plan and the numbers are provided by the government for the housing targets we must deliver on.
“I think what’s really important now, as that next stage of this process goes on, is that continued resident engagement is key, listening and consultation is really important.
“In regards to that particular amenity or perceived loss of amenity I can speak politically and say I would not like to see a specific loss, nor would I if it was in my constituency ward either, so I can understand how the members feel in that particular area.
“That’s something we need to look at and if there are alternatives that’s our duty to explore and implement if we can.”
The public consultation on the local plan was open for a period of eight weeks, closing on March 27. WNC has said that any responses will be carefully analysed and used to shape the next version of the plan and inform whether any draft policies should be changed.
According to a timeline published by the council at the start of this year, a further report setting out any changes from the draft document is expected to go before councillors in September this year. The final plan has to be submitted no later than the end of December 2026.
By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
The BBC has published footage of the arrest of the woman whose legal battle against Northamptonshire Police led to the chief constable being found in contempt of court.
Nadine Buzzard Quashie is shown being pursued and then arrested by the Northants force who the BBC article reveals were in communication with the Metropolitan Police before the arrest.
Businesswoman Buzzard Quashie, who lives in London, is taking further legal action against the Met and Northants Police which could see both have to pay out substantial sums. She had to fight for years to gain the bodyworn camera footage of her 2021 arrest, which Northants Police wrongly insisted did not exist.
The force has already spent more than £300,000 on handling the case, as the legal costs so far have exceeded £250,000 and the force also received a £50,000 from the high court.
As NN Journal reported, a senior officer and two police staff are being investigated by police watchdog the IOPC in connection with the matter.
The chief constable Ivan Balhatchet had not received any sanctions from the Labour police, fire and crime commissioner Danielle Stone.
Plans to convert a former care home in Northampton into a huge HMO for up to 32 people are set for approval at a council meeting next week. The change of use application comes after planning enforcement discovered the site was already being used without proper permission.
The proposals, submitted by applicant Dunclent Properties, ask West Northants Council (WNC) for permission to adapt the now-closed Leys care home in Boothville into a large house in multiple occupation.
The layout of the building includes 30 ensuite bedrooms, five kitchens and one large lounge and dining area on the ground floor, as well as two more HMO ensuite bedrooms upstairs.
There are no external changes proposed to the building and plans show that seven parking spaces would be provided at the front of the building. Officers say the sustainable location of the property should be taken into account, with a nearby bus stop within 30m of the site entrance and a row of shops around 5 minutes’ walk away.
The plans, which will be discussed at a non-strategic planning committee next Thursday (May 7), were called in by ward councillor Nigel Stansfield and Moulton councillor John Slope (both Reform UK).
Both councillors raised concerns regarding the overintensification of the site, harm to the neighbourhood, and inadequate communal facilities for future tenants.
Cllr Slope, who is the cabinet member for finance on the administration, also highlighted the council’s finite resources for planning enforcement, adding that approving the large HMO would create ongoing enforcement issues that the authority can “ill-afford”.
Northampton Town Council also submitted an objection, raising “extreme concern” that the plans presented the largest number of occupants they had seen on an application and the pressure this would put on local amenities. They also highlighted the fact that the building is currently being used unlawfully as a HMO, which they say should not have been allowed to happen.
The planning statement, which was submitted in November 2025, says that the application follows an enforcement investigation by WNC.
It continued:
“The applicant is a recent purchaser of the site which at that time was being run by a social housing operator as the tenant.
“The operator was unsuccessful in attracting any referrals from the local authority and agencies. In order to attempt to ease cashflow issues, the operator started advertising the property as an HMO.
“The applicant and administrator are seeking to regularise the unauthorised HMO sui generis use.”
It added that at the time of writing the report at the end of last year, there were 12 people living in the HMO and they had not had any complaints from neighbours.
Further objections from members of the public raise concerns that by accepting the application, the council “would just be rewarding the owner” instead of being held to account for its unlawful use.
A HMO management plan submitted by the applicant states that the aim of the HMO is to “provide safe and comfortable accommodation” at its target demographic of young professionals, medical professionals, educators and those in the hospitality sector.
“This property will be managed to exceptionally high standards with a strong emphasis on neighbourliness, minimal traffic impact, strict noise control, and proactive communication,” they added.
Officers have recommended the site for approval, stating that the HMO use would have a comparable impact to the previous use as a care home, with a similar number of rooms, intensity and comings and goings.
Report by Nadia Lincoln
Northants Police and West Northamptonshire Council say a year-long project to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in a part of Northampton has yielded significant results.
Since last May the two organisations have been working together using the Home Office’s Hold build approach to reduce crime in the Bouverie estate, close to Wellingborough Road.
The approach clears out the crime and then works with the local community to help improve the area and ensure the criminals are dissuaded from returning.
A team of four police officers worked along the neighbourhood policing team on the matters that most concerned the community.
Chief Inspector Kim Jackson, from the Northamptonshire West Local Policing Area, said:
“Support and input from the local community is a really important part of the Clear Hold Build approach.
“Following an initial survey to help establish what issues were concerning people most, regular monthly meetings were set up to give local people the chance to speak directly with their policing team. We encouraged people to raise concerns with officers and wanted to build their confidence to report issues to us so we could take appropriate action.
“Partnership working is also a crucial part of the approach. The team worked with Northamptonshire Partnership Homes to hold community surgeries specifically for residents living in housing association accommodation.
“We also completed ‘walk‑arounds’ and visual audits of the estate with West Northamptonshire Council’s environmental team and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service. These helped identify areas at risk of fly‑tipping, arson or other crime and informed further prevention work.”
West Northamptonshire Council said:
“These results show the real difference that can be made when the police, council and wider partners work closely together with local people. By listening to residents and focusing on the issues that matter most to them, we have seen genuine improvements on the Bouverie estate.
“Our role has been about supporting both enforcement and prevention - from funding initiatives such as the Crimestoppers campaign, to working alongside police, housing providers, fire and rescue services and community partners to improve public spaces and reduce opportunities for crime. We are committed to continuing this partnership approach, building on the progress made and ensuring residents feel safer, supported and proud of their neighbourhood.”
Officers also worked with local schools, delivering educational sessions focused on early intervention, personal safety, risk awareness and positive decision‑making.
To address drug‑related crime, the team set up a working group with partners including the Probation Service and local charity Substance to Solutions, aiming to divert known offenders away from drugs and criminal behaviour.
Shoplifting was also a focus and officers carried out regular patrols and engagement to support local retailers, and focused on disrupting the activities of those most frequently involved in this type of offending. Targeted action against those linked to repeat offending helped achieve a 58 per cent reduction in shop theft offences between April and December 2025.
Overall, during the same period, reported crime on the Bouverie estate fell by 28 per cent, from 694 offences to 495. Information from the public also increased, helping officers identify people committing crime and supporting enforcement action.
A second project will be set up in the Spring Boroughs areas of the town.
I wouldn’t use muntjac deer as a reason not build at Collingtree. They’re not a native species and cause lots of damage to native flora & fauna.
I guess the ReformUK leadership are awaiting a pronouncement from Nigel as to what they have to do.