Plans to build 114 homes in Daventry recommended for approval, but residents ‘disappointed’ by changes to original plans

The proposal, submitted by Stonebond Properties Ltd, involves the construction of 114 homes on land off Farnborough Drive, Daventry.

The 3.04-hectare site is currently open grassland, equivalent to the size of four football pitches. The development includes various house types, such as bungalows, maisonettes, houses, and apartments.

The proposed house mix is as follows:

• 22 one-bedroom properties
• 58 two-bedroom properties
• 30 three-bedroom properties
• Four four-bedroom properties

The scheme also includes 20 percent affordable housing, with 70 percent allocated for social rent and 30 percent for intermediate housing. This would include five one-bedroom, 11 two-bedroom, six three-bedroom, and two four-bedroom affordable homes.

As part of the development, the applicant has agreed to a Section 106 financial contribution of £509,000, which will go towards supporting local education and library services to mitigate the impact of the development on the community.

Objections

In 2018, a plan was approved for a retirement community on the site, including the current 83-bed care home. While the care home has been built, the rest of the development has not moved forward, leaving the site undeveloped for some time.

One resident expressed disappointment that the developer is not following through on the approved plan for shops, services, and sheltered retirement housing, which would have complemented the nearby care home.

They said: “It feels like a waste of time. Developers submit plans they have no intention of following. The estate needs the infrastructure that was promised.

"The same thing happened with the area reserved for a school, and now the shops and retirement housing are being replaced with more housing. The original plans for shops, schools, and other services were just put in to get approval, but they’re always the last things to be built.

"At the last minute, new plans are submitted. The Planning Department needs to take the needs of the Middlemore estate seriously and reject this proposal, forcing the developer to stick to the original plan. I object to this because it removes important facilities and retirement housing that Daventry needs.”

Daventry Town Council also expressed disappointment that the original plan for a retirement village had been replaced with residential homes. However, the council has supported the changes made to the proposal following concerns about the original design. Despite this, they remain concerned about on-street parking, as many households require more than two parking spaces.

The original plan included 25 percent affordable housing, but a financial assessment showed that the developer could not afford that. After discussions, the plan was revised to include 20 percent affordable housing, split equally between social rent and discounted market housing.

A West Northamptonshire Council planning officer said: “Although the proposed development would not fully comply with the adopted design code and would not deliver high-quality development per se, it is considered on balance that the proposed scheme would provide a satisfactory development. Overall, weighing the merits of the proposed scheme against the harm, it is considered that the proposed development would deliver a satisfactory scheme as a whole.”

The proposal will be discussed at an upcoming planning committee meeting on Wednesday, January 8, where the final decision on the development will be made.