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    • New planning regime for Northampton town centre proposed

    Consultation on new planning powers for one of the new breed of development corporations has been formally launched.

    The development corporation affected is West Northamptonshire and relates to development proposals for the town centre area of Northampton.

    Under these proposals, West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) would become the local planning authority for all planning applications in Northampton town centre except those affecting listed buildings, conservation areas, advertisements and alterations to existing homes. These will continue to be determined by Northampton Borough Council (NBC).

    This move follows an earlier consultation exercise on development control powers for the WNDC in Daventry, Northampton and Towcester. Subsequently, the WNDC and the NBC have developed a joint proposal to give the development corporation powers in respect of Northampton town centre.

    However, the new regime will not affect the overall level of development in the area which will be determined by the local planning authorities and set by the sub-regional strategy for Milton Keynes/South Midlands and Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands published in March 2005.

    The government has signalled that the development corporation's prospects and delivery plan should be ready to go out to public consultation in March 2006. The threshold for strategic schemes for which the development corporation will be responsible is likely to involve scheme of 50 or more new dwellings or 2,500 square metres of business floorspace.

    Baroness Andrews, a minister with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, said: "It is vital to get the right kind of development on Northamptonshire town centre as part of the wider growth in West Northamptonshire. These proposals will give the WNDC the tools it needs to make the small changes that will have a big cumulative effect through which regeneration can be achieved."

    View the 'Development Control Powers for the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation in the Northampton Town Centre Action Plan Area' here.

    View the 'Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy' here.

    View the 'Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands' here.

    Roger Milne

    24 November 2005

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