The Strategic Planning Committee of West Northamptonshire Council is scheduled to consider two significant planning applications at its meeting on Tuesday 12 May 2026. These include a proposal for a waste recycling facility and the development of a new crematorium.

Claridges Barn, Gayton Road, Kislingbury

The committee is scheduled to review an application for the use of land at Claridges Barn, Gayton Road, Kislingbury, for the receipt and recycling of inert wastes and the manufacture of recycled aggregates. The report pack indicates that officers recommend granting permission for this development, subject to conditions. The proposal from M F Quinn Limited involves processing up to 24,000 tonnes of material annually, with mobile plant brought to the site for sorting, screening, and crushing. The site has a history of temporary permissions for similar operations.

The report pack details that no objections were raised by statutory consultees, including the Environment Agency, WNC Environmental Health, and WNC Local Highway Authority. However, Rothersthorpe Parish Council and Kislingbury Parish Council raised concerns regarding traffic, dust, and potential flooding. The application has been assessed against policies in the Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan and the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy, with officers concluding that the impacts can be managed through planning conditions.

Land to the West of Round Spinney, Thorpeville, Moulton

A major application for the erection of a crematorium, wake facility, access, and car parking area on land to the west of Round Spinney, Thorpeville, Moulton, is also scheduled for consideration. The report pack indicates that officers recommend granting permission for this development, subject to conditions. The proposal, submitted by West Northamptonshire Council itself, aims to meet the need for crematorium services in the north of West Northamptonshire.

The development includes a single chapel with a wake facility, set within memorial grounds, with access from Thorpeville South via the A43. The application has generated significant public interest, with 288 letters of objection and 17 letters of support received. Moulton Parish Council and Overstone Parish Council have raised objections, citing concerns about the impact on the character and appearance of the locality, highway safety, ecological impact, and residential amenity. Conversely, consultees such as WNC Highways, the Environment Agency, and Natural England have raised no objections.

The report pack details extensive consultation responses, including comments from CPRE Northamptonshire, Ramblers, and various residents' groups. Key issues raised include the need for the facility, its location within a designated Green Wedge, traffic congestion, air quality, noise, and the psychological impact on nearby residents and pupils at the adjacent Northampton Secondary School. Officers have assessed these concerns against policies in the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy and the Daventry Settlements and Countryside Local Plan, concluding that the proposal is acceptable subject to conditions, including those relating to biodiversity net gain, construction management, and landscaping. The report also addresses the potential impact on the Green Wedge, with officers concluding that the design and landscaping will maintain the physical and visual separation between Moulton and Northampton.