I have been working with Maggie Clubley, Louisa Fowler and Miranda Wixon on many different initiatives in Towcester over a long period of time.  From helping families with children studying at Sponne School, to the local community larder and supporting various local charities, I have been impressed at the commitment to Towcester and Roade of our three Conservative candidates for the local elections on May 6, and I wish them well.   It is disappointing, however, that once again the local Lib Dems are trying to campaign in a wholly negative way, rather than coming up with positive suggestions of their own to benefit our community.

As residents will know from my recent public meeting on the Towcester Relief Road, I have been fighting for 10 years to get the relief road built and the A5 through Towcester to be de-trunked! Constituents are rightly concerned about speed restrictions, air quality, traffic management, noise and the use of the A5 Watling Street as a rat run. On speed restrictions, Highways England have confirmed that they will use signage to discourage traffic from coming up Watling Street- this technique has been effective in other market towns. I can assure residents that I will continue to ‘beat the drum’ that this road is de-trunked. I will also continue to press Highways England on the weight restrictions and signage. I also continue to liaise with Persimmon, the developer, and other stakeholders, and have kept up the pressure during lockdown. 9 virtual meetings have taken place where I have received updates on the aspects of the planning permissions, engineering, archaeology, delivery and design. Whilst the speed of progress is disappointing, a lot of work has been done over the past year. 

We are a long way behind where we wanted to be, for various reasons. But I am hopeful that we will reach the important milestone of the relief road being finished by 2023.  

In recent weeks, constituents are also raising concerns about the proposed DHL development, north of Bell Plantation. The three Conservative candidates for Towcester and Roade have written a short statement about the proposal which you may be interested in reading below.  I’m grateful to them for responding to residents’ concerns so quickly, and I can assure you that I, and they, will continue to work hard for our area.  

“We fully understand the concerns of local residents about the proposed development. Having attended the planning consultation this week, and having visited the site with a local resident, we can see that the needs of both parties are currently very far apart. If elected we will scrutinise the application to ensure that the impact on our local environment is reduced, working with all parties to find a resolution which will ensure that the residents concerns are accommodated into the final plans. Furthermore, we will ensure that DHL are held accountable; any planting they promise must be put in; pledges to reduce height by building down must be complied and commitments to keep their trucks out of the centre of Towcester must be adhered to.

The new football pitches would be a welcome addition to the town, and we will work with TTFC to find the additional funding needed to complete the pitches and the facilities which are required.

We are delighted by the support that has been offered so far to address the concerns of the proposals for development in Towcester and Roade and, if elected, are keen to pursue all the conversations that we have been part of this week.”

- Maggie Clubley, Louisa Fowler and Miranda Wixon, Conservative candidates for Towcester and Roade

I will continue to raise constituent’s concerns directly with the local authority and DHL.