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Giant warehouses approved despite local objections

Nadia Lincoln
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Martin Heath
BBC News, Northamptonshire
IM Properties Artist's impression of grey and cream warehouse with black roof. There are cars parked outside. There are trees in front of the warehouse, and greenery with white flowers in the foreground. A road leads out of the picture on the right.IM Properties
One of the warehouses will be 21m (29ft) high

Two large warehouses on the edge of a small town have been given the go-ahead despite more than 100 objections from people living nearby.

The development, to be known as Towcester Park, will be built alongside the A43 bypass at Towcester in Northamptonshire.

One objector said that the project was "at odds with both the character and the integrity" of the town.

The developers said Towcester Park would meet "the future employment needs of West Northamptonshire.

One of the warehouses will be built next to a new roundabout on the busy A43 and will be 15.5m (50.9 feet) high and have floorspace of 15,000 sq m (17,940 sq yds).

The other warehouse will be even larger, with a height of 21m and floorspace of 43,500 sq m (52,026 sq yds).

It will be alongside Tiffield Road, which is also known as Donkey Lane.

Laura Coffey/BBC Two women, one with a blue gilet and white top with black spots, and the other with a black top. Both have blond hair - Ms Whitcroft's (left) is tied back while Ms Croft's is untied. There is a field behind them with red fencing to the left.Laura Coffey/BBC
Louise Croft (right) founded Save Towcester Now with Isla Whitcroft

At the planning meeting where approval was given, Louise Croft from the Save Towcester Now campaign told councillors: "These parameter measurements are maximums they are not targets.

"It is a classic example of the developer pushing the boundaries to the absolute limit.

"It seems the developer wants this at any cost to local people. You must protect us now. Towcester is changing- if this goes ahead it will be for the worse."

IM Properties Artist's impression of a grey warehouse with cream roof, shaped as three adjacent curves. There is a grass-covered roundabout in front, and trees separating the roundabout from the warehouse. There are left turn signs on the roundabout. A white car is approaching it. There is a lorry heading onto the roundabout from the opposite direction.IM Properties
The smaller warehouse will be built next to a new roundabout

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, planning officers had recommended that the project be approved despite more than 100 objections from local people.

One said: "The proposed development in this area is, regrettably, at odds with both the character and the integrity of Towcester, and there are serious concerns surrounding the infrastructure and road capacity required to support the project."

Another objector said the "monstrous" warehousing would turn a "small, beautiful market town" into a "ugly and overpowered motorway-style distribution centre".

Others argued that extra traffic from Towcester Park would jam nearby roads.

IM Properties Plan of site, showing large grey rectangle with smaller grey rectangle to the right (warehouses) with a roundabout beyond. A new road to the North is shown, with smaller industrial units beyond.IM Properties
Towcester Park will built to the north of the A43 and east of Tiffield Road

David Smith, director of planning and communities at the developers, IM Properties, told councillors: "Towcester is changing and in bringing this scheme forward we've worked really hard to minimise the impact of the development at this allocated site.

"Our aim has always been to deliver a high-quality, landscape-led commercial development that meets the future employment needs of West Northamptonshire."

He added that the project would provide 1,600 new jobs for people in the area.

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