Friday brief: West unitary council tight lipped on new temporary homes location
Plus the usual round up of news from around Northants and some suggestions for weekend activities
West Northamptonshire Council will not reveal which two sites will be used to house 100 temporary housing units.
The authority has met twice behind closed doors to discuss the issue of spending more than £12m on new temporary buildings to house the growing number of people going to the authority in need of emergency housing.
NN Journal asked the authority which company it was buying the homes from and where the new units would be located but the authority responded:
“The Council is still finalising plans and further updates will be shared soon.”
The Conservative cabinet discussed the issue in July in private - citing financial confidentiality as a reason for non-public disclosure - and the full council signed off the deal in July.
It has not shared which funding pot the £12.7m is coming from.
The number of people requiring accommodation from the council has risen steeply in recent years as the cost of living, rising mortgage rates and private rents has led many to lose their homes. Last year more than 600 individuals and families were temporarily housed by the council, but a lack of available social housing meant hundreds of rooms were purchased ‘on the night’ of need.
The authority said the annual cost for housing people in private accommodation, either owned by landlords or bed and breakfast is £8.2m. A media release sent out recently said it estimates it can save £667,000 a year by purchasing the temporary, prefabricated homes.
Earlier this Spring leader Adam Brown visited an unnamed supplier in Milton Keynes to look at three storey modular homes.
In the media release, cabinet member for housing, Cllr Rosie Herring, said:
"The approval of this significant investment in relocatable temporary accommodation marks a crucial step in our commitment to supporting those in need of housing in West Northamptonshire.
“By providing stable and cost-effective housing solutions, we are not only addressing immediate needs but also laying the groundwork for long-term benefits for our community.
“This initiative underscores our dedication to improving the quality of life for our residents and ensuring that everyone has access to safe and appropriate housing."
The council said it has looked at various ways to tackle the housing crisis, including acquiring properties on the open market and increasing affordable housing delivery. However it said the new focus on temporary homes is a ’necessary and innovative step’ and will help families until a permanent accommodation solution is found.
News in brief:
A controversial planning application for a vast DHL warehouse development is being recommended for approval next week.
More than 1,100 letters of objection have been submitted to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) against the plans for the new employment space on the northern edge of Towcester. In comparison, only three letters of support have been received.
The site blueprints include detailed plans for the large DHL warehouse and outline plans for further employment space plots on the 32-hectare site, stretching across what are currently two agricultural fields.
The application also requests permission to install a new three-arm roundabout on the A5 to access the site.
DHL’s new warehouse will reportedly generate around 1,300 new full-time jobs and add an estimated £50m per year to the sub regional economy.
Concerns include highway safety and traffic impacts, air quality in Towcester town centre, the visual impact of the development and questioning the need for more warehousing in the area.
17 local parish councils also lodged their own objections to the DHL development as well as the British Horse Society and Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE). WNC’s officer’s report also makes reference to the local residents action group known as ‘Save Towcester Now’ which has 1.1k followers on Facebook.
Isla Whitcroft, co-founder of the campaign group, spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service in April about the devastating effects the group believe it will have on the town and the surrounding area if it’s given the green light.
She said:
“People are angry. Towcester is a historic town and it brings tourism to the region.
“Who’s going to want to come and look at a town that is surrounded by warehouses? They will be monstrosities.”
The council’s planning report says:
“Notwithstanding the objections from local Town and Parish Councils and the significant number of objections from local residents (including the action group, Save Towcester Now), all of which have been fully considered, there are no other material considerations with indicate that the proposal should not be granted.
“Consequently, on balance, the application is recommended for approval.”
The application will go to the strategic planning committee next week on Tuesday, years after the initial plans were first published.
Report by Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
Northampton singer Billy Lockett, has seen his song I could use a friend hit the top spot on itunes after his appearance on TV show The Voice. The singer, who has toured with KT Tunstall and Sam Ryder and who is due to go on tour with Jamie Cullum next month, is having his biggest success after years of making music.
Plans have been submitted to convert the top floors of a five-storey building above Northampton town centre KFC and Taco Bell into flats.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) must make a decision on whether to approve a planning application asking to change four floors of offices into seven residential apartments at 15-17 The Drapery, Northampton.
According to blueprints presented by applicant Lionacre Properties Ltd, the top four floors will contain six one-bedroom and one two-bedroom flats. The fast-food units on the ground floor will remain in place.
Planning documents suggest the first and second floors are currently being used as office space for Stagecoach, but the remaining floors above are vacant.
The site is proposed to be ‘car-free’ due to its location within Northampton town centre and easy access to bus stops and the train station. To support sustainable modes of transport, the proposal also includes secure cycle storage accessed via College Street.
Lionacre Properties Ltd wrote in its planning statement:
“The introduction of residential units in this location will contribute to the vitality of the town centre, supporting local businesses and enhancing community life.
“The loss of the under-utilised offices on the upper floors would not impact on the function of the ground floor restaurants and would instead contribute to the much needed supply of housing and it is therefore considered that the principle of development is acceptable.”
WNC is due to make its decision on the building’s future use by October 17. You can view the planning application and submit comments on the council’s website here.
Report by Nadia Lincoln
Westminster watch - Read again
Paywall now lifted from our report earlier this week. Kettering comedian James Acaster among the donors to the successful general election candidates.
NN Events
🚜 The first ever charity bale push is being held at the Avenue Field, Ashby St Ledgers, tonight from 5pm to 10.30pm. Teams of four are invited to push a bale round the course. £10 per entrant, spectators free and money raised goes to local charities including Daventry Home Start. There will also be live music, food and fairground amusements.
🪇 The NN Music Festival is taking place on Sunday at venues around Northampton with local artist Mae Stephens headlining at Guildhall Road. More details and timings on the website.
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I grew up in South London shortly after the war surrounded by pre-fabs. This was a temporary solution until a massive house building programme kicked in. Modular solutions popular in mainland Europe may be part of the answer if they are high quality, sustainable eco-units but is this what WNC has in mind?
Good to see some pro activity in solving the housing shortage.