22/06/2026
We need your help… again.
In January 2024, after a four-year fight and a public inquiry, we defeated the Duke of Buccleuch’s planning application for warehouses at Kettering North. We owe that outcome to supporters who signed petitions, objected, marched, wore merch, donated, and spoke at the inquiry.
Is it all over? Unfortunately, not. They haven’t put in a fresh application yet, but we’re sure they haven’t been idle. The problem is that the current Local Plan for North Northants has earmarked the area for employment development.
What’s happening now? North Northants Council are reviewing the current Local Plan, which expires in 2031. The new Local Plan, coming into being in January 2029, will be vital: through it NNC can either de-allocate Kettering North, preserving it from future development, or re-allocate it for something else, such as housing.
If we can persuade NNC to de-allocate Kettering North, our aim will have been achieved. It won’t be easy, but we are determined.
In 2022 NNC consulted on what residents wanted in the new Local Plan, and many of us asked for Kettering North to be de-allocated. Some asked for it to become a country park.
NNC are now holding another consultation to update residents’ views. The link is in our comments. The deadline is midnight on Wednesday 1st July.
What can you do? The consultation is long. We ask you to focus on paragraphs 10.3 and 10.9, which acknowledge the public’s desire to see Kettering North de-allocated, or at least re-allocated.
You can answer as many questions as you like, but we ask you to answer Question 26: “Should the Local Plan determine whether existing employment sites could be re-allocated for alternative uses?” We suggest answering: “I believe the new Local Plan should determine that the Kettering North employment site is de-allocated.”
You can respond online via the consultation document, or by email. If you only want to answer Question 26, email might be easier: [email protected], with your name and address.
Don’t forget: the deadline is midnight on Wednesday 1st July. See the link in our comments.
Thank you.
🖤 Love Kettering 🇬🇧 KNG
