Northamptonshire
Planning & Building Contacts

Corby's post-war steel town character (now largely cleared) and the regeneration of former British Steel land are significant planning contexts. Rushden Lakes retail and leisure development and the Wellingborough growth area are major planning sites. The Eleanor Cross at Geddington (Grade I Scheduled Monument, one of only three surviving medieval Eleanor Crosses) requires careful setting management. The A14 corridor through Kettering and Thrapston is a nationally significant logistics route and generates considerable industrial development pressure.

Northampton is one of England's most significant historic shoe and leather industry towns with important Victorian and Edwardian factory buildings. Silverstone Circuit in the south of the area is a major planning constraint - its operations, crowd movements and circuit extensions require careful neighbour management. Althorp House (Grade I, seat of the Spencer family, Princess Diana buried on the Round Oval island in the park) has exceptional heritage sensitivity. The Eleanor Cross at Hardingstone (Grade I, 1291-1294, one of only three surviving) is on the southern approach to Northampton. The M1 corridor through Northampton generates large warehouse and distribution development.

Contact the relevant unitary authority building control directly. Registered Building Control Approvers (private inspectors) operate across all of Northamptonshire. Note that the ironstone construction prevalent across the county (particularly in villages south and east of Northampton) is a specialist material requiring careful detailing for extensions and alterations - conservation officers at both unitaries can advise.

Northamptonshire is exceptionally rich in medieval church architecture - the county's limestone and ironstone geology produced an extraordinary density of early medieval churches, many with broach spires that gave rise to the "county of squires and spires" description. Key Grade I assets: Althorp House (Spencer family seat, associated with Princess Diana), Boughton House (Duke of Buccleuch, the "English Versailles"), Rockingham Castle, Kirby Hall (English Heritage, Elizabethan ruin), Canons Ashby (National Trust), Deene Park, Eleanor Crosses at Geddington and Hardingstone (two of only three surviving), Northampton's medieval town walls. The Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record is held at both unitaries.

Rockingham Castle occupies a hilltop above the Welland Valley commanding views over three counties. Founded as a royal castle by William the Conqueror, it remained a royal residence until the 16th century and features in Charles Dickens's Bleak House. Its hilltop setting and long Welland Valley views are a significant material consideration for development anywhere in the surrounding landscape. The village of Rockingham itself is of outstanding historical importance.

Althorp is the ancestral home of the Spencer family and has been in their possession since 1508. The house (Grade I) is set in a Grade I registered park landscaped by Henry Holland with capability Brown input. Princess Diana is buried on an island in the Round Oval ornamental lake within the grounds. The estate's setting and long views across the Northamptonshire plateau are highly sensitive planning considerations for West Northamptonshire Council. Historic England engagement is required for any proposals affecting the setting of this nationally important estate.

Kirby Hall (begun 1570) is one of England's best-preserved Elizabethan great houses - its roofless but structurally intact state makes it one of English Heritage's most atmospheric properties. It was built for Sir Humphrey Stafford and subsequently associated with Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor under Elizabeth I. The restored parterre gardens are a significant heritage asset. Its rural setting north of Corby is a material planning consideration.

The River Nene creates extensive Flood Zone 2 and 3 areas through the heart of Northampton and along its entire course east through Wellingborough, Rushden and Thrapston. The Sequential Test and Exceptions Test apply to development in these areas. The Nene Valley between Northampton and Peterborough is a major recreation corridor with important wildlife habitats. Weston Favell Washlands and Billing Aquadrome are important flood storage areas on the eastern edge of Northampton. The River Welland forms the northern boundary with Leicestershire.

The Upper Nene Gravel Pits between Thrapston and Peterborough (within North Northamptonshire) are designated SPA and Ramsar - internationally significant for overwintering wildfowl. Habitats Regulation Assessment is required for development that could affect the integrity of this designation. Northamptonshire's ancient semi-natural woodlands (Yardley Chase, Salcey Forest, Rockingham Forest) are important SSSI designations and ecological constraints on development in their vicinity.

Anglian Water serves most of Northamptonshire; Severn Trent Water (0800 783 4444) covers parts of the western county around Daventry and Brackley. Northamptonshire is in a seriously water-stressed region. Daventry Reservoir (Anglian Water) is a major strategic reservoir. The county's reservoirs (Pitsford, Hollowell, Ravensthorpe, Sulby, Stanford) are important water supply assets with buffer zones.

Northamptonshire's central location makes it one of England's most important logistics counties. The M1 (Junctions 15-18) runs through the western area connecting the county to London and the North. The A14 provides the east-west spine connecting Northampton to Kettering, Corby and the A1 at Brampton Hut. The A5 (Roman Watling Street) crosses the western county through Towcester and Weedon Bec. Development generating significant traffic on any National Highways route requires a Transport Assessment and Highways England consultation. The M45 branch near Daventry is also relevant to western developments.