Update January 2023
Following the submission of our planning application in May 2022, North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) undertook its own statutory consultation on the application which resulted in a range of comments from the council’s officers and statutory consultees.
After extensive dialogue with the council’s officers and external consultees, we have now submitted our response to these comments and provided additional information where necessary. This information will now be the subject of a further statutory consultation by NNC throughout January 2023.
The information we have submitted to the council covers the key points summarised below.
Design: We’ve amended the detailed appearance of the proposed DSV building (Plot 1) to link it more closely to the cladding strategy for Plots 2 and 3, and to reduce the visual impact of the north west corner of the DSV building. These changes are reflected in a range of updated documents, plans and CGIs. The Design and Access Statement has also been updated to clearly communicate the pedestrian, cycle access strategy and connectivity from the site into Titchmarsh.
DSV corporate cladding strategy (top) and revised DSV cladding strategy for Thrapston (bottom) – click to enlarge DSV corporate cladding strategy (top) and revised DSV cladding strategy for Thrapston (bottom) – pinch to zoom
Landscape: We’ve submitted a new document to help the council assess the suitability of the cladding strategy from key viewpoints, and to demonstrate that the choice of building colours is the most appropriate approach for the local landscape. This is also reflected in detailed changes to the landscape chapter of the Environmental Statement and to the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment.
Indicative layout including revised DSV cladding strategy for Thrapston – click to enlarge Indicative layout including revised DSV cladding strategy for Thrapston – pinch to zoom
Ecology: In response to comments from the council’s ecologist, we’ve updated the Bat Activity Survey within the Environmental Statement to include additional maps showing the extent of bat usage along existing hedgerows.
Noise: This chapter of the Environmental Statement has been updated in response to requests for clarification on the potential mitigation solutions and additional modelling work to demonstrate its effectiveness in mitigating the impacts of any on-site noise.
Environmental Statement (ES): The Cumulative Assessment section of the ES has been updated to reflect all of the above changes.
Key documents can be downloaded using the links below.
- Covering letter
- Elevations to Plot 1 – updated
- Design and Access Statement – updated
- Justification of Cladding Colour Selection – new
- Environmental Statement Landscape and Visual – updated
- Environmental Statement Bat Activity Surveys – updated
- Environmental Statement Operational Noise Assessment – updated
- Environmental Statement Assessment of Cumulative Effects – updated
The full pack of information can be found on the council’s planning portal by searching for application reference NE/22/00698/OUT.
Transport: We’re continuing to engage in proactive discussions with NNC and National Highways on relevant transport issues. This includes completing highways modelling using the Northamptonshire Strategic Transport Model to assess the potential traffic impacts of the development and confirm an appropriate package of mitigation measures for the local highway network. We will provide a separate update on this work in the coming weeks and share details of our highways work with the local community – both online and at in-person events.