Blisworth's New Proposed Housing Estate

Article in The Herald, July 1988

PLANS TO BUILD a housing estate complete with a new village hall and football pitch are causing an uproar in Blisworth.  Last night parish councillors met behind closed doors to discuss the new proposals, which they believe break structure plan guidelines.  The planning application submitted to South Northants District Council by a Kettering company of architects and surveyors proposes the building of 53 houses, 28 bungalows, a football club pavilion and children's play area as well as the football pitch and village hall.  The development would be located off Courteenhall Road, next to Blisworth Lodge.

If Gotch Saunders and Surridge's application is passed by the council it will make a "nonsense" of a previously drawn up structure plan which restricts development in the area, say villagers. The structure plan states that no further housing can be built within the Blisworth boundaries until 2001.  Btisworth Parish Council were due to consider the application at an emergency committee meeting last night. They will make a recommendation to South North-ants planning department who will in turn make a recommendation to the planning committee.  Blisworth Parish Clerk, Tony Lack, admitted that he was not very happy about the plans. "It's right at the back of me," he said. "I believe the plans hold significant implications for the village."  Sid Whitmore, district councillor, said: "I am up in arms about the whole thing."  He feels particularly strongly about plans to build a village hall. He explained that the village already has an adequate hall and the applicants had not bothered to ask the parish council if they needed another.  He said that the villagers had not been consulted over the plans either. "I shall be most strongly opposing this on behalf of the villagers and my own feelings," he said.  "It makes a nonsense of the structure plans," said Mr Whitmore.

Architect Richard Nelson of Gotch Saunders and Surridge is dealing with the application. He said he was simply working to his brief and declined to comment further.

The plan is set out on Courteenhall Farms Estate (ie. Hereward Wake's land) to a large extent (see map below) but also makes use of the field alongside the football fields and council allotments, which is owned by Vaughan.  This proposal was roundly thrown out by councillors and planners but is regarded as a notable events as it is said "it paved the way for the group of affordable houses to be later established outside the village confines". That affordable houses project was started in 2005 at the western end of the area involved.