Go to the new North Northamptonshire Council website

New website

Most information about our services can be found on our new website. Visit North Northamptonshire Council

Neighbourhood Planning

South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan Area

Referendum

A referendum was held on Thursday 27th April 2023 to give the residents of the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Area the chance to vote on whether they agreed that the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan should be used by the council when determining planning applications in their area.

The question asked was:

“Do you want North Northamptonshire Council to use the neighbourhood plan for South West Kettering (Headlands Community) to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

The South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan was endorsed by the majority of voting residents on the day.  91% of those who voted did so in favour of using the Plan.  Following the community’s endorsement the final step is for the Plan to be formally ‘made’ by the council.

The full declaration of results can be viewed below:

Prior to the referendum the council published a Notice of Referendum and an Information Statement, this set out the key information and details for the referendum.  In association with these, and as required Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 (as amended), the council published the following specified documents:

Should you wish to view the Neighbourhood Plan appendices they are available upon request from:

Kettering Town Council, Kettering Conference Centre, Thurston Drive, Kettering NN15 6PB

https://www.ketteringtowncouncil.gov.uk/; clerk@ketteringtowncouncil.gov.uk; 01536 697490

Examination

The Examiner’s Report was issued on the 21st December 2022. The Report concluded that, subject to the modifications recommended in the Report, the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan meets the statutory requirements set out in paragraph 8 of schedule 4B of the 1990 Act.  Once modified, the Plan can proceed to referendum.

The Council have prepared a post-examination decision statement setting out what action they will take in response to the recommendations provided in the Examiner’s Report in accordance with Regulation 18 (2) of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) and Paragraph 12 of Schedule 4B to the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act.

On 29 July 2022 Nigel McGurk MRTPI submitted some initial questions to the Qualifying Body (via the Council) to inform the examination of the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan. These have been forwarded to the Qualifying Body for consideration.  The Examiner’s initial questions can be viewed through the following link:

Appointment of an Independent Examiner

Nigel McGurk MRTPI was appointed on 20 July 2020 to undertake the independent examination of the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan. The examination commenced on 25 July 2020.

Prior to the examination North Northamptonshire Council were responsible for collating representations made on the Plan Proposal submitted by Kettering Town Council under Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations (2012) as (amended) (known hereafter as the Regulation(s)).  There were two responses and no objections to the Plan. 

Regulation 16 Consultation Responses

These representations, along with the Plan Proposal and supporting documents have been forwarded to the Examiner under Regulation 17.

Examination

The Examiner is currently reviewing the Plan Proposal, submission documents and the representations.  He will be considering whether the Plan:

  • has regard to national policy;
  • contributes to the achievement of sustainable development
  • is in general conformity with the adopted strategic local policies for the local area;
  • is compatible with EU obligations;
  • meets human rights requirements.

Further documents may be published in due course, in response to any points that the Examiner may raise.  Following the examination, the Examiner will issue a Report to the Council and Kettering Town Council.

Regulation 16 - Publishing the Plan Proposal

The Council formally received the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan proposal on 7 January 2022.  Links to the documents forming the Plan Proposal can be found below.  In accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) the Council publicised the Plan proposal for a period of six weeks.  Representations are invited from 13 January 2022 until 11.59pm on 23 February 2022.

Submission of the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan Proposal

Kettering Town Council (KTC) formally submitted the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan Proposal to North Northamptonshire Council.  In accordance with Regulation 15 of the (Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) the submission includes the following documents:

Plan Proposal

Supporting Documents

The Council wrote to Kettering Town Council on 11 January 2022 to confirm receipt of the Plan proposal and advise that it complies with all of the relevant statutory requirements.  The Plan proposal can therefore be publicised for a period of six weeks before proceeding to an independent examination.  An update will be provided to this posting once dates have been agreed for the official six week period.

Kettering Town Council become qualifying body for plan preparation

The South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Forum have been preparing a neighbourhood plan for the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Area with the support and input of the local community since 2015 (see below for further details).

On 1 April 2021 a new Town Council was created for Kettering as a result of the Local Government Reform which took place across Northamptonshire.  In accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) (61F 8(a)) the designation of a neighbourhood forum ceases to exist if a new parish [or town] council is created and the neighbourhood area forms part of the parish council's area.

Kettering Town Council is now the qualifying body for the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan.  The Town Council is working with founding members of the former South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Forum to prepare the neighbourhood plan for submission to North Northamptonshire Council in due course.

Re-designation of the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Forum

At the Executive Committee of Kettering Borough Council on 14 October 2015 Members voted to designate the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Area and South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Forum for the purposes of preparing the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan.

Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) the designation of a Neighbourhood Forum ceases to have effect after 5 years to the day on which it was designated.  Therefore, the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Forum submitted an application for the re-designation of the Forum to continue preparing the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan.

Consultation on the application took place from 11 August 2020 until 22 September 2020.  No representations were received.

At the Executive Committee of Kettering Borough Council on 14 October 2020 Members voted unanimously to the Forum’s re-designation.

View the:

In accordance with Part 3 (Regulation 10) of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) the following information was published on this website with respect to the designation and re-designation of the Neighbourhood Forum between 15 October 2015 and 5 January 2022

  • the name of the neighbourhood forum;
  • a copy of the written constitution of the neighbourhood forum;
  • the name of the neighbourhood area to which the designation relates; and
  • contact details for one member of the neighbourhood forum

This information was removed in recognition that Kettering Town Council is now the qualifying body for the preparation of the South West Kettering Neighbourhood Plan.  Therefore, Regulation 10 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) no longer applies and the information set out above is no longer required for publication.

Regulation 14 Consultation

Neighbourhood planning regulations (Regulation 14) require a draft neighbourhood plan proposal to be the subject of a pre-submission consultation before it is submitted to the local authority for independent examination. The consultation should last at least 6 weeks.

The Regulation 14 consultation took place on the Pre-submission Draft of the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan (2019 – 2031) from 16 December until 19 February 2020.  Hard copies of the Plan were made available for inspection at Kettering Library and Kettering Borough Council Offices.  Drop in sessions were held at St Michaels' Church on 14 January 2020 and 19 January 2020.

Designation of the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Area and Neighbourhood Forum

Consultation on applications for the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Area and South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Forum took place from 16 July 2015 until 1 September 2015.

At the Executive Committee of Kettering Borough Council on 14 October 2015 Members voted to designate the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Area and South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Forum for the purposes of preparing the South West Kettering (Headlands Community) Neighbourhood Plan.

View the:

Map of South West Kettering Neighbourhood Plan Area