Campaigners launch petition to object to draft proposals to build on Eastern Way in Daventry

Hundreds of people have signed a petition to put a stop to a draft plan to build homes on a green space in the centre of Daventry.

Earlier this year, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) published a draft masterplan for the town, earmarking part of the Eastern Way playing fields for a 150-home housing development.

A petition launched by a Daventry resident last Friday (October 11) has already received more than 400 signatures asking to save the field and scrap the authority’s proposals to sell part of the land off for housing.

Eastern Way playing field is currently used as a hub for community events, including the weekly park run, a playspace for children and community activities. Elizabeth Scott, co-founder of the Eastern Way campaign group, called the field “a vital lung” of the town.

She wrote on the petition: “Today, this treasured gem is under threat. West Northamptonshire Council intends to build on these spaces against our community’s wish. This move shakes the very essence of community living, health, and wellbeing.

“Uprooting such an invaluable asset of our community is not progress; it is a devastation. We appeal to halt this initiative. Stand with us in protecting this open green space, our haven for stress-relief, community bond, and our town’s lungs.

“Let our children ride their bikes freely, let our dogs roam joyously, and let us breathe in the true beauty of nature everyday. Let’s keep East Way playing field for what it was intended for: community, health, and nature.”

WNC says the new homes on the playing field would achieve increased footfall for local businesses, improved daytime and nighttime economy and offer more facilities and amenities on the doorstep. It also says the revenue generated from the project would in turn fund greater improvements to the rest of the town centre.

Members of a 1.5k strong Facebook group- called ‘Eastern Way Playing Field Keep it Green’- also plan to stage a demonstration gathering in Eastern Way on Sunday, October 20, at 2.30pm. Judith Morris, another co-founder of the group, has said she hopes to see 1,000 people in attendance this weekend.

Talking about the housing proposals, she said: “WNC tell us that the land must be sold to raise funds for ‘improvements’ to our town centre as detailed in the Daventry Masterplan 2024.

“The details provided are sketchy and we believe that no greening of the High Street could ever compensate for the loss of a large open field which hosts nature on our doorstep.”

Daventry MP Stuart Andrew also attended a recent public meeting on the plans to listen to the views of local residents. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he has been communicating “the strength of feeling” on the matter to WNC and will continue to do so.

Cllr Dan Lister, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure said: “Although Daventry has pockets of deprivation, unfortunately it doesn’t qualify for current government funding. We are exploring various funding options and one way of funding elements of the masterplan is using proceeds from the sale of the Eastern Way and Ashby Road.”

He said developing the land would help finance the aims of the masterplan, including:

• Improving connections for pedestrians and cyclists to the town centre, Daventry Country Park and residential areas
• Improving leisure, community and playground facilities
• Enhancing lighting, signage, street furniture and accessibility to improve retail and nighttime offer for residents
• Meeting local housing need close to the town centre

The council has not yet decided whether to endorse the masterplan. The suggested next steps for the Daventry vision will be considered by the council’s cabinet this autumn