Andrea Leadsom Writes to Transport Secretary over DHL Application

Earlier this week, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to communicate the widespread concerns of residents about the DHL warehousing planning application in Towcester.

You can find the full text below:

I write with regard to the planning application to build warehousing in Towcester by DHL on the Bell Plantation Development Site. I have written in similar terms to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. National Highways was previously objecting to this plan on the grounds that it would have a severe impact on local roads, however it has come to my attention that they are now no longer objecting, subject to a few minor conditions.

Specifically, National Highways was concerned about the impact of the additional traffic caused by the warehousing on the Tove roundabout (A5/A43) and the subsequent increased journey times for local residents. DHL offered to add a third lane to the roundabout, however National Highways said that they did not believe this idea had merit. National Highways was also sceptical about DHL’s modelling on traffic signalling, virtual queues and their road safety audit. National Highways stated that there would be a severe traffic impact in 2031 on the Tove Roundabout that had not been mitigated by the plan.

They have since dropped these objections with no discernible change in the application by the developers. The three conditions they have attached are as follows:

1.⁠ ⁠No building work to start until after completion of the site access roundabout on the A5.

2.⁠ ⁠No site operation to commence until after work to ‘improve’ the Tove roundabout (A5/A43) is completed.

3.⁠ ⁠An agreement on drainage on the roads is reached.

Notably, this omits to mention the Towcester Relief Road, a major project being built between the A5 and the A43 south of Towcester, that will aid in traffic flows around the town. After an outcry from local residents, National Highways hastily added a condition that the Towcester Relief Road should be completed before the site can operate a few days after they published their letter dropping their objection.

As a result of this confusing and vacillating response from National Highways, residents are justifiably concerned that they have dropped their objection not on the application’s merit, but instead on the fear of a legal challenge by the developer.

I am working with West Northamptonshire Council to represent residents’ concerns to DHL, National Highways and the Government that this would be a disastrous development for Towcester. Residents in my constituency have already endured many new warehousing projects in South Northamptonshire, I believe National Highways has questions to answer about why they are allowing this plan to proceed.

I would be very grateful if you will seek a detailed response from National Highways on what appears to be a failure to carry out their statutory duties. I would also appreciate your advice on what steps are now available to WNC planning authorities to require proper consideration of traffic impact from this proposed development.