The West Northamptonshire Council's Strategic Planning Committee was scheduled to meet on 22 April 2025 to discuss planning applications and other committee business. The meeting was to be held at The Forum in Moat Lane, Towcester. On the agenda was a reserved matters application relating to a warehouse and distribution unit at Apex Park.

Apex Park Phase 4 Site B

The committee was scheduled to consider application 2024/4534/MAR from Prologis UK Ltd for reserved matters relating to the erection of a warehouse and distribution unit including ancillary offices, landscaping, access, parking and associated infrastructure at Apex Park Phase 4 Site B Entwistle Road Daventry NN11 8NG.

The reserved matters relate to condition 26 attached to hybrid planning permission DA/2019/0366. The report pack notes that the key issues arising from the application details are:

• Access
• Landscaping
• Scale
• External appearance
• Surface Water Drainage
• Noise
• Lighting
• Biodiversity and Ecology
• Residential amenity

The application site is a greenfield site allocated in the development plan for industrial/warehouse use under Policy EC7. It is presently undeveloped, comprising a field bounded by mature field hedges and trees to its northern, eastern and western boundaries. A bridleway (VB9) crosses the eastern edge of the site linking to the footpath network over an old rail bridge to the east at Middlemore residential estate. An existing permissive footpath runs along the southern edge of the site forming part of a network of permissive paths that run around the outer edge of Apex Park.

The application seeks approval for a new industrial/warehouse unit of some 8782.5sqm on a 3.91 hectare site, comprising 8009sqm of warehouse internal space and 472sqm of office space providing a total of 71 parking spaces as well as a shelter for 30 bicycle spaces.

The report pack notes that two letters of objection have been received, raising the following objections:

• No need for more warehouses in this area
• Loss of greenfield sites
• Noise pollution to nearby residential properties
• Light Pollution
• Impact on mental health with loss of greenspace
• Nowhere for air ambulance to land
• Can Daventry not find a better place to put these monstrosities

One letter was received not opposing the building but requesting improvements to the existing bridleway up to and including the rail bridge to improve connectivity to existing residential development to the east.

The planning balance and conclusion section of the report pack states:

The detailed layout, design, scale, appearance and landscape details as submitted are considered to be acceptable and subject to the conditions imposed represents a sustainable form of development that officers consider should be approved.

The report pack recommended that the application for reserved matters be approved subject to conditions.

Other items

The agenda also included:

• Apologies for Absence and Appointment of Substitute Members
• Declarations of Interest
• To confirm the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 18 March 2025.
• Chair's Announcements
• Exclusion of Press and Public
• Urgent Business