North Northants Green Party Planning Responses

North Northants Green Party Planning Application Responses

As the local Green Party we are often asked to comment on controversial planning applications. Below you can read our responses to applications including Barton Seagrave’s Spinneys and Kettering Energy Park.

Kettering Energy Park

Kettering Energy Park is a proposed large development of 445 hectares of agricultural land to the south of the A14 in between Burton Latimer and the A510.

North Northants Green Party objected to the masterplan. You can read our objection letter here: NN Green Party response to KEP consultation 2024-05-13

We also objected to the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) Scoping Opinion consultation, which you can read here: Kettering Energy Park Application NK/2024/0613 NNGP Comments

Further links

Kettering Energy Park website
Landscape Not Industrial Estate Facebook group
Change.org Petition

Media Coverage

27 March 2025 – Northants Telegraph£500m investment plans for controversial 2.5mile-wide Kettering Energy Park due to be submitted to council
3 June 2024 – Northants TelegraphTown and parish councils send open letter objecting to ‘disaster’ plans for Kettering Energy Park
14 May 2024 – BBC NewsMP concerned about revised ‘energy park’ masterplan
23 April 2024 – Northants Telegraph – ‘Greenwashing’, ‘patronising’ and ‘fairytales’ say members of public at Kettering Energy Park consultation
14 April 2024 – Northants TelegraphConsultation begins on Kettering Energy Park near Burton Latimer and Finedon that could see farmland used for warehouses and businesses
11 April 2024 – Northants TelegraphNew public consultation opens for rural Kettering Energy Park which would be bigger than Burton Latimer
17 November 2023 – BBC NewsKettering Energy Park: More consultation needed, say town councils

BARTON SEAGRAVE SPINNEY

The Spinney in the middle of Barton Seagrave is an important green space in an area. The Spinney was threatened by a planning application to build up to 58 houses there.

North Northants Green Party objected to the planning application in all its forms. Here you can read our comments dated 29-07-2024.

Our previous objections are here and here.

We are pleased to hear that the planning application was REFUSED by North Northants Council in April 2025 – Northants Telegraph article (12th April 2025).

The developer took it to the Planning Inspector in 2025, and thankfully, the Inspector refused the Appeal. Coincidentally, the decision was announced nearly two years to the day after the Weekley Hall Wood appeal decision.

Further links

Save Barton Seagrave Spinney (SBSS) Facebook group
Planning Application NK/2024/0338 on North Northants Council planning portal website

Media Coverage

9 January 2025 – BBC Online‘Delight’ as 58 homes next to cricket club rejected
9 January 2026 – Northants TelegraphVillage campaigners ‘ecstatic’ as planning inspector rules in favour of community and council
28 September 2025 – Northants Telegraph‘This is our Central Park’, say villagers, who face their ‘last chance’ to save a precious green space in the heart of Northamptonshire
22 August 2025 – Northants TelegraphPublic inquiry to decide ‘village green’ status of fields at centre of controversial Barton Seagrave housing estate
12 April 2025 – Northants TelegraphVictorious Barton Seagrave ‘Save Our Spinney’ campaigners say ‘they picked on the wrong village’ after houses plan refused
22 December 2023 – Northants TelegraphBarton Seagrave ‘deserves better’ say residents fighting back against spinney development
31 May 2023 – Northants TelegraphResidents show opposition to village development plans at Barton Seagrave exhibition
16 May 2023 – Northants TelegraphHousing development plans on show at Barton Seagrave public exhibition for Barton Road and spinney application

Photo [L-R] Green Cllrs Dez Dell and Emily Fedorowycz, SBSS campaigners Cllr John Hunter and Tina Murphy, Maja Raczkowska, Adrian Watts and Sue Watts

CUETOPIA (AKA SPOT-ON)

Cuetopia is on the first floor of a two-storey building on Montagu Street, Kettering. The owner of the building has put in a planning application to remove the snooker club and build three new floors of apartments on top of the existing ground floor shop units.

The Cuetopia (previously Spot-On) snooker club has been here for nearly 30 years.

North Northants Green Party objected to the planning application. You can read our objection letter here: NN Green Party response.

Unfortunately, in November 2024, planning permission was granted for the apartments – BBC News Article

Further links

Planning Application NK/2023/0701

Media Coverage

23 December 2023 – Northants TelegraphBid to demolish Kettering snooker hall and build 30-apartment ‘superstructure’ on top of shops

Photo [L-R] Green campaigner Liane Robinson, Cuetopia owner Paul Martin and Kettering Town Cllr James Towns