The West Northamptonshire Council's Planning Policy Committee convened on 19 November 2025 and addressed several key planning initiatives. The committee approved the West Northamptonshire Draft Statement of Community Involvement 2025, adopted the updated Grand Union and Oxford Canal Conservation Area Review, and moved forward with the Grange Park Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan, accepting the Examiner’s recommendations to proceed to a referendum. Additionally, the committee discussed the draft West Northamptonshire Infrastructure and Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document, agreeing to release it for public consultation.

West Northamptonshire Draft Statement of Community Involvement 2025

The committee adopted the West Northamptonshire Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) 2025, a document outlining how the council will engage with the community on planning matters. This decision followed a review of responses received during the draft SCI consultation, summarised in Appendix B and Appendix C of the report. The SCI aims to ensure that local residents and stakeholders are informed and involved in the planning process, from the development of planning policies to decisions on individual planning applications.

The adoption of the new SCI also meant the revocation of several existing Statements of Community Involvement, including the West Northamptonshire Local Plan SCI, Northampton Borough Council SCI, Daventry District Council SCI, South Northamptonshire Council (SNC) SCI, and the 2012 Northamptonshire County Council Minerals and Waste Statement of Community Involvement, insofar as it relates to West Northamptonshire. The Head of Planning Policy and Specialist Services was delegated authority to make minor editorial and presentational changes to the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) prior to publication.

Grand Union and Oxford Canal Conservation Area Review

The committee agreed to the updated Grand Union and Oxford Canal Conservation Area Review, which included the designation of a new Conservation Area boundary as outlined in Appendix C of the report, superseding the 1995 designation. The committee also approved proposed changes to the Grand Union and Oxford Canal Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, responding to representations as detailed in Appendix A.

A notable change was the inclusion of a section of the canal between Braunston Wharf and Lock 3, currently part of the Braunston Conservation Area, into the canal conservation area, effectively removing it from the Braunston Conservation Area. The Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan for the Grand Union and Oxford Canal was adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document, and the Local List entries outlined in Appendix D of the report were also agreed upon. The Head of Planning Policy and Specialist Services was granted delegated authority to make minor editorial changes to the Grand Union and Oxford Canal Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan.

Grange Park Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan

The committee noted the progress made by Grange Park Parish Council in developing its Neighbourhood Plan (GPNDP). They accepted the Examiner’s recommended modifications and endorsed the recommendation that the GPNDP, as modified, should proceed to a referendum of voters within Grange Park Parish. The committee approved the proposed decision statement set out in Appendix 1 of the report, subject to the aforementioned recommendations and any necessary factual alterations. The Head of Planning Policy and Specialist Services was authorised to make further minor editorial changes to the GPNDP to address any factual and typographical errors.

Draft West Northamptonshire Infrastructure and Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document

The Planning Policy Team Leader, Alan Munn, presented a report seeking approval to consult on the draft West Northamptonshire Infrastructure and Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document (WNIDCSPD). The committee approved the release of the draft West Northamptonshire Infrastructure and Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document for a six-week public consultation period. They also agreed that the indexation arrangements outlined in the document would be used in the interim for all section 106 agreements¹. The Head of Planning Policy and Specialist Services was granted the authority to make minor editorial and presentational changes to the draft WNIDCSPD before its release for public consultation.

Several concerns were raised during the discussion:

• Parish Council Involvement: There was a suggestion to increase the involvement of parish councils in Section 106 Legal Agreements². Officers responded that they were collaborating with NCALC³ to support parish councils in making appropriate consultation responses.
• Section 106 Monitoring Fees: Concerns were raised that the proposed fees for monitoring Section 106 Legal Agreements were significantly higher than the current fees.
• Healthcare Contribution: The document was criticised for not going far enough in terms of healthcare contribution and provision. Officers confirmed that they had been, and would continue to liaise with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) on this document and the Local Plan.
• Affordable Housing: There were concerns about the clustering of affordable housing in developments. Officers explained that there was a requirement within S106 Agreements to support pepper-potting⁴ and that the Strategic Housing team signed off on detailed plans and layouts of affordable housing schemes.
• Youth Provision: It was noted that youth provision had suffered from a lack of funding for many years, and while the document outlined specific areas and referred to LAP identification[^6], there was no reference to funding calculations.