East Northamptonshire Local Plan (Part 2)

East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 2011-2031
Adoption Statement
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended)
The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regs 2012 (as amended)

Notice is given that in accordance with Regulation 26 and 35 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) and the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) that this Adoption Statement hereby provides that on 7 December 2023 North Northamptonshire Council adopted the East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 2011-2031 as a Development Plan Document.

The East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 replaces the remaining 'saved' policies from the 1996 District Wide Local Plan and the all the extant policies of the Rural North, Oundle and Thrapston Local Plan 2011. A schedule has been prepared to show which of the Part 2 Plan policies supersede those Local Plan policies, this is available on the Council’s East Northamptonshire Local Plan web page.

The East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 has been subject to examination by an independent Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. In the report published on 31 July 2023, the Inspector confirmed that, subject to a number of main modifications, the Plan was sound and recommended its adoption. The adopted Plan incorporates the Main Modifications recommended by the Inspector, as set out in the appendix to her report on the examination of the Local Plan. together with the Council’s additional Schedule of Minor Modifications. These can also be viewed on the Council’s East Northamptonshire Local Plan web page.

Any person aggrieved by the adoption of the East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 may make an application to the High Court under Section 113(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Any challenge pursuant to Section 113 must be made on the grounds that:

• The East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 is not within the powers conferred by Part 2 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
  or
• a procedural requirement of the Act or its associated Regulations has not been complied with

Any such application should be made promptly, and in any event, no later than the end of the six week period starting from the date on which the Plan was adopted.

In accordance with Regulations 26 and 35 of the 2012 Regulations, the following documents have been made available to view:

1. East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 2011-2031
2. This Adoption Statement; and
3. The Sustainability Appraisal Report

A copy of the documents listed can be viewed on the Council’s East Northamptonshire Local Plan web page.

Alternatively, hard copies of the documents are available for inspection at the Council’s Thrapston area Office, North Northamptonshire Council, Cedar Drive, Thrapston, Northamptonshire, NN14 4LZ and at the following local libraries during normal opening hours:

• Irthlingborough
• Oundle
• Raunds
• Rushden
  and
• Thrapston

If you require any further information, please email: [email protected].

This note provides an officer interpretation of the implications of the Thrapston Appeal decision APP/M2840/W/25/3362393, it does not constitute binding policy. The weight to be afforded to policies remains a matter of planning judgement in each case.

The above appeal was upheld following the Inspector’s decision letter (the Letter) received from the Planning Inspectorate on 22 October 2025.

Whilst the appeal was allowed, and planning permission was granted for a hybrid planning application comprising storage and distribution (Use Class B8) space with ancillary offices and associated infrastructure works, the Letter has further implications in respect of the weight to be afforded to specific policies in the adopted North Northamptonshire Local Development Plan (the Local Plan).

This note sets out the interpretation of the Letter and indicates how North Northamptonshire Council (the council) will apply particular policies in the Local Plan (contained in the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy and the East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2) in respect of the determination of any relevant future planning applications.

In summary, the Inspector considered a basket of key policies within the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy and East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 in reaching his decision, these policies are:

North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy (adopted July 2016) (the JCS):
Policy 2 (Historic Environment)
Policy 3 (Landscape Character)
Policy 11 (Network of Areas)
Policy 23 (Distribution of New Jobs)
Policy 24 (Logistics)
East Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 (adopted December 2023)
Policy EN1 (Spatial Development Strategy) 
Policy EN12 (Designated Heritage Assets)

Paragraph 195 of the Letter is key and states:

"195. The Courts have established that the proposition that the basket is out of date must be tested. Firstly, by identifying the most important policies and asking if each one is out of date and secondly, by then stepping back and asking if the basket as a whole is out of date. It may be that certain policies may be so determinative that this causes the whole basket to be out of date. The appellant takes this view in relation to Policy 24. The Courts have also established that this is a matter of planning judgement.

Based on this proposition, the Inspector considered the implications of each of the policies set out in paragraph 4 above as follows:

1) JCS Policy 2 (Historic Environment) 

Policy 2 - Historic environment

The distinctive North Northamptonshire historic environment will be protected, preserved and, where appropriate, enhanced. Where a development would impact upon a heritage asset and its setting:

a) Proposals should conserve and, where possible, enhance the heritage significance and setting of an asset or group of heritage assets in a manner commensurate to its significance
b) Proposals should complement their surrounding historic environment through the form, scale, design and materials; 
c) Proposals should protect and, where possible, enhance key views and vistas of heritage assets, including of the church spires along the Nene Valley and across North Northamptonshire
d) Proposals should demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the impact of development on heritage assets and their setting in order to minimise harm to these assets and their setting. Where loss of historic features or archaeological remains is unavoidable and justified, provision should be made for recording and the production of a suitable archive and report
e) Where appropriate, flexible solutions to the re-use of buildings and conservation of other types of heritage assets at risk will be encouraged, especially, where this will result in their removal from the ‘at risk’ register

The Inspector considered this policy to be consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2024) paragraph 203.

2) JCS Policy 3 (Landscape Character) 

Policy 3 - Landscape character

Development should be located and designed in a way that is sensitive to its landscape setting, retaining and, where possible, enhancing the distinctive qualities of the landscape character area which it would affect.

Development should:
a) Conserve and, where possible, enhance the character and qualities of the local landscape through appropriate design and management
b) Make provision for the retention and, where possible, enhancement of features of landscape importance
c) Safeguard and, where possible, enhance important views and vistas including sky lines within the development layout
d) Protect the landscape setting and contribute to maintaining the individual and distinct character, and separate identities of settlements by preventing coalescence
e) Provide appropriate landscape mitigation and/or suitable off-site enhancements
f) Preserve tranquillity within the King’s Cliffe Hills and Valleys Landscape Character Area (as shown on the Policy Map) and other areas identified in Part 2 Local Plans by minimising light and noise pollution and minimising the visual and traffic impacts of development

The Inspector considered this policy to be consistent with the NPPF paragraph 203.

3) JCS Policy 11 (Network of Areas) 

Policy 11 - The network of urban and rural areas

Development will be distributed to strengthen the network of settlements in accordance with the roles in Table 1 and to support delivery of the place-shaping principles set out in Table 2. The special mixed urban/rural character of North Northamptonshire with its distinctive and separate settlements will be maintained through the avoidance of coalescence.

1. The urban areas

a) The Growth Towns will be the focus for infrastructure investment and higher order facilities to support major employment, housing, retail and leisure development
b) The Market Towns will provide a strong service role for their local communities and surrounding rural areas with growth in homes and jobs to support regeneration and local services, at a scale appropriate to the character and infrastructure of the town
c) Provision will be made for new housing as set out in Policy 28. Any proposals for significant additional growth should be tested and supported through Part 2 Local Plans or Neighbourhood Plans
d) The Sustainable Urban Extensions shown on the Key Diagram provide strategic locations for housing and employment development within and beyond the plan period. If it is necessary to identify additional sites to maintain a 5 year deliverable supply of housing land in a district in accordance with Policy 28, these should be identified at the Growth Town followed, if necessary and relevant, by the Market Towns within that district.

2. The rural areas

a) Development in the rural areas will be limited to that required to support a prosperous rural economy or to meet a locally arising need, which cannot be met more sustainably at a nearby larger settlement
b) Small scale infill development will be permitted on suitable sites within Villages where this would not materially harm the character of the settlement and residential amenity or exceed the capacity of local infrastructure and services. Part 2 Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans may identify sites within or adjoining Villages to help meet locally identified needs or may designate sensitive areas where infill development will be resisted or subject to special control
c) Local and Neighbourhood Plans will identify sites within or adjoining the villages to meet the rural housing requirements identified in Table 5. Other than small scale infilling or ‘rural exceptions’ schemes, development above these requirements will be resisted unless agreed through the Part 2 Local Plan or Neighbourhood Plans to meet a particular local need or opportunity
d) Rural diversification and the appropriate re-use of rural buildings will be supported in accordance with Policy 25. Renewable energy developments will be considered under Policy 26. Other forms of development will be resisted in the open countryside unless there are special circumstances as set out in Policy 13 or national policy
e) The strategic opportunity for an exemplar sustainable new village community at Deenethorpe Airfield will be explored in accordance with Policy 14

The Inspector considered this policy to be partly out of date, because the effect of its application had been to limit the supply of strategic logistics sites needed to meet market demand. This was due to the policy restricting proposals to the Growth Towns. The locational requirements of the policy were not considered to reflect the demands of the freight and logistics sector and therefore did not apply the required market signals. This was set out at paragraph 201 of the Letter.

However, aside from the approach to strategic logistics development, the policy approach for other forms of economic development, as set out in JCS Policy 11, remains consistent with the NPPF and should continue to be applied and afforded weight.

As a local plan policy is not automatically deemed out of date in its entirety just because a single criterion is not consistent with the NPPF, paragraph1a) of Policy 11, which states that “Growth Towns will be the focus for infrastructure and investment to support major employment” would continue to apply for employment proposals in general.

In respect of the consideration of B8 logistics proposals, given the significant unmet need for B8 logistics, and the restriction it provides by limiting future growth to the Growth Towns, (as identified by the Inspector in his Letter at paragraphs 197 and 201) means that this part of the policy is now considered to be out of date in respect of B8 logistics proposals and should be afforded limited weight in decision making.

4) JCS Policy 23 (Distribution of New Jobs) 

Policy 23 - Distribution of new jobs

In order to achieve a sustainable balance between local jobs and workers and more diverse economy:

a) The quality and quantity of existing and committed employment sites will be reviewed against the job creation targets set out below:

Table 3: Job creation targets

b) Employment development of a scale and mix identified within commitments and approved master plans will be supported at the SUEs and strategic sites identified on the Key Diagram. These sites will act as the focus for the provision of high-quality employment in North Northamptonshire. The use of Local Development Orders and other innovative mechanisms to facilitate delivery of these sites will be supported
c) The town centres and areas around the railway stations at the Growth Towns will be the preferred locations for new office development with additional office sites at areas with good public transport connections
d) Where, taking account of the forecast growth in non-B class jobs, there is an identified shortfall in supply of deliverable sites to meet the jobs targets in Table 3, additional sites will be allocated in Part 2 Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans with priority given to sites within or adjoining the Growth Towns in locations that are capable of being accessed by a choice of means of transport
e) Within the rural areas, new employment of an appropriate scale and type will be supported consistent with Policy 25

The Inspector considered, at paragraph 202 of his Letter, that JCS Policy 23 was partly out of date in respect of B8 logistics proposals, due to indirectly constraining logistics growth, specifically through criterion b) and therefore is not consistent with NPPF paragraphs 86 and 87.

Therefore, criterion b) should be afforded limited weight in decision making in respect of proposals for B8 logistics, the remainder of Policy 23 is considered consistent with the NPPF and can continue to be afforded full weight for other employment proposals.

5) JCS Policy 24 (Logistics) 

Policy 24 - Logistics

Proposals for logistics, including large scale strategic distribution will be supported where they comply with the spatial strategy, facilitate the delivery of a mix of jobs and are of the highest viable standards of design and sustainability. Proposals will need to satisfy all of the following criteria:

a) Subject to market demand and viability, strategic distribution developments (involving individual units of 9,300sqm or more floorspace) should also include the provision of a proportion of floorspace in the form of smaller employment units
b) Have good access to the strategic road network with priority given to the development of freight consolidation centres and sites which can be served by rail freight and operate as inter-modal terminals. Long term opportunities to provide facilities for transferring freight delivery to rail will be safeguarded
c) Have good access to local labour supply and be accessible to the local workforce through public transport, walking and cycling;
d) Achieve the highest possible standards of design and environmental performance through maximising the use of sustainable design and construction techniques
e) Be in locations which allow 24-hour operations with acceptable environmental, community and landscape impact
f) Provide sufficient infrastructure to mitigate highways impacts
g) Address the local operational requirements of HGV parking arising from the development or demonstrate that suitable adequate alternative accessible parking is available

The Inspector considered (paragraph 199) that this policy was not consistent with NPPF paragraph 87, because its locational requirements do not reflect the need requirements for the freight and logistics sector, namely, growth along the A14 strategic road network, rather than restrictions at the Growth Towns. Paragraph 87 of the NPPF requires that policies should recognise and address specific locational requirements of different employment sectors.

As a result, the spatial element of this policy is likely to be treated as out of date in respect of strategic B8 logistics development, as it doesn’t consider the specific requirements of strategic logistics development. Therefore, this policy should be afforded limited weight.

However, the policy criteria set out at (a) - (g) are not dependent on the spatial strategy and therefore remain consistent with the NPPF. These criteria should continue to be afforded full weight in decision making for logistics proposals.

6) ENLPP2 Policy EN1 (Spatial Development Strategy) 

Policy EN1 - Spatial development strategy

Development proposals will respect the network of settlements across the district, in accordance with the spatial roles set out in the Joint Core Strategy (Table 1) along with local considerations for assessing development proposals set out below and through Policy EN2 and the supporting text.

Settlements within the Plan area vary greatly in character, function and role. To provide greater clarity as to how the Spatial Strategy will be applied within East Northamptonshire, informed through Tables 4 and 5 of this Plan, the following approach will set out a context for development proposals:

1. Urban Areas

a) Rushden - Rushden will be the focus for major development, as the designated Growth Town, concentrated upon the delivery of the Rushden East Sustainable Urban Extension and land to the east of the A6/Bedford Road (Policy EN28).

b) Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough, Raunds, Thrapston and Oundle Development will be focussed upon the major committed development sites at Irthlingborough (including Crow Hill), Raunds, and Thrapston. Development at Higham Ferrers will take place within the current built up area of the town with additional locally arising development needs directed towards Rushden. Development at Higham Ferrers will take place within the current built up area of the town with additional locally arising development needs directed towards Rushden. Further development at these towns will focus upon urban re-imagination, to support job creation, regeneration and to secure and enhance the local service base.

At Oundle, development proposals will seek to deliver the allocated sites to meet the Joint Core Strategy requirements for the latter half of the Plan period (2021-2031), to enhance Oundle’s role as the main service centre for the rural north of the District.

2. Freestanding Villages

To help maintain and strengthen local services infill development opportunities within the existing built-up areas as defined through Policy EN2 and the supporting text, or a made Neighbourhood Plan, will be supported. ‘Rural exceptions’ affordable housing schemes (Policy EN3) or other small-scale employment and community-based proposals will also be supported Further development beyond the extent of the built-up area will be resisted, unless allocated through a Neighbourhood Plan.

Within the eight larger freestanding villages (Table 4) larger scale16 development opportunities may be supported where it can be demonstrated that they are necessary to fulfil a defined local need17 and meet the requirements of Policy EN2, together with the supporting text, as being considered as part of the built-up area, or a made Neighbourhood Plan.

3. Open countryside and restraint villages

Development will be refused for new build residential development units in locations beyond the built-up area of the settlements identified in Table 5. Development proposals for rural diversification or the re-use or conversion of rural buildings will be supported where this in accordance with Policy 11 of the Joint Core Strategy.

The Inspector considered this policy was consistent with the NPPF paragraph 203.

7) ENLPP2 Policy EN12 (Designated Heritage Assets) 

Policy EN2 - Designated heritage assets

Development proposals will be generally supported where they meet the following requirements/criteria:

1. The site is allocated in the Local Plan or a made Neighbourhood Plan
2. Infill development within a built-up area (as defined in the supporting text) or within a settlement boundary, where that is defined by a neighbourhood plan, will be supported where the site is: 
   (a) well-related to the principal built form of the settlement (existing or committed) and is not protected for any other use
   (b) clearly distinct from the surrounding countryside, both physically and visually
   (c) bounded by existing or committed development on at least two sides, which should be adjoined by a highway and such that developing it would not extend the built form away from a highway to create a “backland” form of development
3. They would not harm the settlement’s character, form, or the surrounding countryside, including the need to avoid comprising key views, heritage assets and their settings, respect the importance of open, greenspace areas within the built-up form of the settlement and seek to conserve special landscape designations
4. They would not be disproportionate to the settlement’s size, form and range of facilities available

The Inspector considered this policy was consistent with NPPF paragraph 203.

Not withstanding the above, NPPF paragraph 110 requires, “significant development to be focused on locations which are or can be made sustainable through limiting the need to travel and offering a genuine choice of transport modes”.  Therefore, although it is considered that elements of some of the polices discussed in paragraph 6 above are out of date in respect of providing for the significant unmet needs of B8 logistics, the approach to major development proposals, other than those proposing B8 logistics, should continue to be guided by the spatial policies of the development plan.

Implications

The Inspector’s Letter at paragraphs 141 and 197 identified significant unmet need in North Northamptonshire for strategic logistics (B8 uses) of a strategic scale (defined in the JCS at paragraph 8.20 as >9,300m2). This is capable of being a material consideration in future decision making.

Therefore, the adopted spatial strategy, guiding future logistics development to Growth Towns only, as set out above shall be afforded limited weight. In considering future planning applications an assessment of the planning balance should take account of relevant market signals. The presumption in favour of sustainable development (NPPF paragraph 11(d) (ii) is engaged where the most important policies are considered out of date, subject to the overall planning balance, unless any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole.

This does not imply that strategic B8 logistics can be isolated away from settlements, from which there could be a labour pool. Sustainable travel options should remain part of any proposal.

For other employment proposals the spatial strategy and policies in the development plan continue to be afforded full weight.

The emerging local plan must ensure that the needs of future B8 uses are met in full through allocations. The freight and logistics sector cannot be assumed to follow the same spatial strategy as other forms of development. Proximity to junctions on major roads, particularly the A14, will be a greater factor for this sector than other forms of development but this should not lead to isolated employment proposals that are remote from a local workforce.

The Thrapston Appeal decision is a material consideration, which indicates that elements of the development plan policies relating to strategic B8 logistics development may be out of date, particularly where they constrain the ability to respond to identified market need.

However, the development plan should continue to be read as a whole. Policies, or parts of policies, which remain consistent with the NPPF continue to attract weight in decision making.

The weight to be afforded to individual policies and the application of the presumption in favour of sustainable development, will remain a matter of planning judgement in the context of each case and all other material considerations.

June 2026